On a Mission
by HudgensEfronLove
Summary: Two spies assigned to become partners. There was just one problem; She despised him.
1. Caruso

"Will you please hurry up? They'll be here any second!"

"Can't you see I'm trying? Quit pressuring me Gabriella, you're going to make me mess up!"

Gabriella groaned, standing closely to the door. She gripped her gun tightly to her chest, focusing on the exit next to her. She was making sure no one entered while her partner continued his job.

"We're running out of time!" She yelled in a whisper and glanced at the ticking sound coming from her watch. "20 seconds!"

"Gabriella shut up!" He spat and returned his attention to the diamond shielded by a glass box. Her partner was using a tiny laser shaped pen to cut a perfect circle on the box. Things were going great, that was until his laser started malfunctioning. As he lifted the circular piece away from the box a large alarm sounded, making him drop the glass onto the floor.

"Dammit!" Gabriella stomped her foot and opened the door, soon walking out. Her partner came running at her, breathing hard.

"I'm sorry! You know this wasn't my fault!" He looked at Gabriella, but she continued looking in front of her. She laughed sarcastically and stopped short.

"How the hell are we ever going to go on this mission, when we can't even complete a simple test?" Gabriella crossed her arms across her chest and scoffed at the man directly in front of her.

"So what if we failed a little test? This is the only one we couldn't finish, Gabi. We got this. _You _got this." The man smiled and Gabriella nodded hesitantly. "Now, give your amazing partner a kiss and then we'll go speak to General."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and placed a small kiss on his lips. She could tell he was aching for more, but he wasn't getting off that easy. If this was the real situation, they'd both be dead. She pulled back, grinning."Eh, eh buddy. You don't get more than that. Now let's go."

* * *

Gabriella knocked softly on the silver door in front of her. She looked behind her to see her partner playing with his hands nervously. "Calm down, Alex. She can't be that mad." His head jerked up at her and he nodded.

"Come in!" Gabriella turned back to the door to hear a loud womanly voice speaking from inside. And she didn't sound so happy. "Shit." Gabriella ignored Alex's comments and walked inside slowly, a huge smile on her face.

"Hello, Gener-" Gabriella was cut off by the woman standing up and raising her hand. She motioned her hand toward the two chairs in front of her and Gabriella's smile faded. She took a seat on the soft cushion, Alex sitting next to her.

"I watched you two back there. I'm not impressed." Gabriella heard Alex gulp beside her and she did the same. "You two have an assignment next week and you both know this is very important. I thought I made myself clear before." The woman in front placed her hands on the desk, balancing herself. Her brown locks were pulled into a ponytail, allowing her full texture of her face to be shown. She wasn't out of shape for her age, in fact she was one of the most beautifully aged woman Gabriella has ever seen. Her green eyes stood out every time she saw her, but the look in her eyes always frightened Gabriella. She was never one to be scared in these cases, this being the only exception. Her boss scared her, more than she should.

"I will expect you two to train extra harder every day from morning till late at night. Do you understand?" The General asked the pair, and Gabriella nodded. As for Alex, he wasn't really one to be afraid of speaking up. Even if he feared his boss as well.

"I take full responsibility for messing up. It was my fault, not Gabriellas. I don't think it's necessary to make her work longer, when she's clearly trying her hardest."

"I'm aware of what happened, Smith. But you two are partners, so when one makes a mistake, you both pay for it. You guys depend on each other, am I right?"

Alex was about to say something stupid again, Gabriella knew that for sure. She punched Alex in his right leg under the desk, preventing him from answering. "Yes, General. If you don't mind, we're going to go home for the day. We will come in bright and early tomorrow." When the General turned to face her board Gabriella looked at Alex and gave him an angry glance. He mouthed 'what?' to her, and she rolled her eyes, looking back to the woman.

"That will be fine. Get a lot of rest tonight, you both will need it." Gabriella smiled reassuringly to her and stood up from the desk, grabbing Alex's arm and leading him out of the room. Even though she didn't like her boss much, her boss seemed to favor her over the other spies. Gabriella and Alex were labeled as the best in the business, even if they sometimes had a few slip ups. They were usually chosen for the most dangerous missions, never failing to finish in success. Gabriella was recruited when she was 17, and for 6 years she's trained to become the best of the bunch. She graduated high school early due to her intelligence and left her family and friends behind to work in the spy industry. It wasn't easy leaving her mother, father and sister, but she hated her life. She hated being called the nerd and she mostly hated getting picked on. She was a different person now. If anyone from high school met her again, they would be astonished with her appearance. She wasn't the same weakling back at home. Now she was independent, smart, and very strong. No one would want to get on her bad side. And no one intended too.

"What the hell was that Alex? You could of got us in deep shit!" She told him, making her way to the elevator on the opposite end of the hallway. The walls were all a dark shade of silver, mostly made out of metal. There was one elevator that got them in and out of the building, leading up to a small warehouse that was their cover. Without a hand and eye scan, there was no possible way to get inside the facility. Gabriella groaned and pressed the number 1 on the keypad in the elevator. There were 15 floors, all built underground. Gabriella and Alex were leaving floor number 15, the main area, where the General resided. Everywhere else were either training floors, or some technological place with complex equipment.

"But I didn't, did I?" He shook his head to answer his own question and stepped inside the elevator next to Gabriella. "We're still on the case and everything's good."

"Mhm, because coming in earlier and staying longer is exactly what I wanted."

"Look, I'm sorry okay? Let me make it up to you. Tonight, you, me, dinner. Sound good?" Gabriella didn't even bother to look at him while he pleaded to her. She really wasn't sure about their relationship. Of course they were partners, but was it really a romantic partnership? She liked him, he liked her, so why was is hard for her to just admit it? She just didn't want anything serious at the moment, maybe not ever. She had to focus on work, and only work. So now they remained friends. Friends with benefits..

"Sorry, Alex. Not tonight, I have stuff to do. Maybe when the missions over?" She turned to face him, smiling. He nodded and she walked out when the elevator door opened. She felt sort of guilty and it showed completely in her face.

"See you tomorrow Gabi." She waved goodbye, still smiling, and they both walked separate ways to their cars.

* * *

Gabriella woke up early in the morning, cursing Alex for messing it all up. When she saw him soon, she would definitely give him a piece of her mind. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why did she have to be tortured? Oh right, because _when one makes a mistake, you both pay for it._ Stupid ass rules if you ask her. Gabriella ignored her intentions of wanting to knock Alex and the General in their faces and placed her hand on the scanner, then followed by putting her eye up to it. The small machine read _accepted _and the elevator door opened. After stepping out of the elevator Gabriella made her way down the hall on the 5th floor, and headed to the training area. When she stepped inside she saw a bunch of people practicing, getting pretty into the moment. Damn, she loved to watch spies fight. It was an odd habit Gabriella had. She always became excited when she was near fights, just like a little middle schooler.

"Hey Gabriella!" Gabriella smiled and waved at one of the women taking a sip from her water bottle. Gabriella walked over to her and set her bag down on the floor.

"Hey, how's everything going?" Gabriella asked, pulling out her own water bottle from her bag. She pulled out a scrunchie and pulled her black wavy locks in a ponytail, letting her bangs fall over her forehead.

"Good, pretty exhausted. I've been here for 2 hours and I already feel like dying."

"You've been here since 6?" Gabriella's eyes widened. She would never come that early, not even if she was forced. 8 was already too early for her. She was used to coming in at 12, and leaving at 6.

"Yeah, some people need the extra training." The woman giggled and placed her bottle down on the mat. This place was like an overly large gym, with red mats covering the floor. It was kind of like a boxing area, Gabriellas favorite.

Gabriella laughed and pulled her sweatpants down to her legs, kicking them off. She stood in her tank top and spandex shorts, like she was getting ready to run a mile in track. It was comfortable for her, not slutty.

"Well, my respect for you just went up. I would never wake up that early. Or so help me, I'd kill myself."

"Sure Gabs." She laughed and started walking past Gabriella, looking back once. "Have fun! Don't kick too much ass!"

"You to, Taylor." Gabriella giggled and bent down to tie her shoe laces. Taylor was her good friend here, maybe even like a sister. They've been really close since Taylor entered. Taylor was a newbie, well that's what everyone called her. She wasn't really new anymore, since she's been here for 2 years. She still had a lot of work to do, but over time she was getting there. Gabriella noticed a shadow in front of her and looked up, letting out a groan. She arched her back and stood up, both hands across her chest. The man in front of her smiled, throwing his towel of his shoulder. She tapped her foot impatiently and waited for him to speak.

"What do you want, Bolton?" She said harshly, allowing him to know once again, she hated him.

His piercing blue eyes locked with hers for a moment and she looked to the side, soon becoming an eye roll. He chuckled making Gabriella grunt. "What?" She retorted, making him laugh more.

"I just wanted to know if you would do me the honor of training with me." He smiled at her, his perfect white teeth blinding Gabriella. He was gorgeous, yes. But he was an asshole that used girls for his selfish needs. She wanted nothing to do with him. Not even become his friend. She knew it would probably lead to more serious intentions, something she wasn't fond of. He was her first crush at this place, but like every other girl, he played with her feelings.

"No, i'm busy. So can you please leave now?" Gabriella stood, waiting for him to leave. He just stayed there staring at her with his gorgeous eyes. She rolled her eyes and turned away from him, walking to the opposite side of the 'gym'.

"Well I dont see Alex around, so what's the problem?" He jogged backwards in front of her so he could look at her reaction and flashed a grin. She picked up her pace and pushed him to the side.

"He'll be here soon. And anyways, I don't like you. So go away." She ignored his glance and continued walking away from him.

"Will you let me expl-" Gabriella stopped and turned when she heard her name being called. Both of them looked straight at the broad man that called her. She was relieved when the man told her to follow him. She didn't want to deal with him at the moment. "Bye, Troy." She replied coldly and made her way to the exit, following the agent.

After getting out of the elevator he led her to the Generals office, slamming the door behind him when he left. General Caruso had her back facing Gabriella and spoke softly, causing Gabriella to jump in shock. She never talked so calmly before.

"Have a seat Gabriella." She never actually called Gabriella by her first name either. It was usually Ms. Montez or Agent Montez. Gabriella reluctantly sat down in the chair, frowning when she looked at the chair next to her. She was more nervous without Alex by her side.

"I have some shocking news to tell you, so please be prepared." General Caruso turned to Gabriella, her face expressionless. Gabriella had a feeling this wasn't going to end well.

As the General spoke, Gabriellas heart shattered into a million pieces. She sat there frozen, her mouth wide open, while she spoke. Gabriella started tearing up and placed her head in her hands, trying to stop the flooding of her tears. She felt a hand rubbing her back, and Gabriella continued to cry, not even bothered that her boss was trying to soothe her. She was just given the most devistating news that caused her world to come crashing down. Tears spilled out faster as she thought of her partner, being shot down, ending in a painful death. What was she going to do now?

* * *

Did you like it! Anyone? I thought of it while I was about to fall to sleep..hehe. I don't know if it's been used, I sure hope not. I like the idea though, and since Captured is coming to an end, I thought this would be a cool story to write :D So leave your reviews and tell me what you like or dislike about it. Please and Thank you (: (See I have manners, lol.)


	2. Shocking News

Gabriella stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes bloodshot, and her face already paler than before. She turned the sink on and splashed her face with a pool of water. The General was nice enough to offer Gabriella some alone time in her bathroom to adjust to the news. The bathroom was right inside the office, so it wasn't enough really good enough for any real alone time. She was still grateful, besides that fact.

"Gabriella, is everything okay?" Gabriella heard from outside the door, recognizing the voice as her boss. She nodded to herself in the mirror and sighed. Alex would've wanted her to stay strong, not cry herself until she could no longer breathe. She stepped out of the bathroom after cleaning herself up and sat down on the chair. She felt a jolt of pain through her body when she looked next to her, the empty chair flooding memories of Alex in her brain.

"I know you're hurting. I am too dear." Gabriella awoke from her trance and looked over at the General, seated in front of her. "I'm allowing you to take some time off to deal with the loss. It's very devastating to carry on with your mission when you just lost your partner."

"No." Gabriella answered, and the General looked confused.

"What do you mean no? You can't go through this now, you know the side effects this will bring. You are not ready, sweetie." Gabriella wanted to throw up this very moment. Could she quit with the nice act? She never cared for anyone besides herself, and Gabriella was very aware she didn't care about Alex's death. She seemed unphased.

"Alex would've wanted me to do it. So I will, for him. I can handle it." Gabriellas voice became gradually larger. She needed to finish what her and Alex started. He would want her to be strong and act as if he was still there, she knew that. After all, she wasn't going to allow anything to interfere with her job.

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. You and Alex were very close."

"And I'm going to finish this for him. I won't let you down, I promise." Gabriella spoke as she stood up, not bothering to hear her boss finish. She walked out the door and back to the training room. She let a few tears fall down her cheek and quickly wiped them off, hoping no one would notice she's been crying. This wasn't a very smart idea to complete the mission, she knew that. But she couldn't get rid of the feeling that it had to be done. Any normal person would be emotionally wrecked, probably going into depression. Gabriella would've been that person in high school, but not now, not anymore.

* * *

"Gabriella, take it easy, you're gonna knock my hand off!" Taylor pulled her hands away and threw the boxing squares on the floor. She looked at Gabriella who was jumping in place, sweat dripping down her forehead. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella slowed down, trying to get her breathing back to normal. She sighed and threw her gloves on the floor, plopping down next to them. Taylor knelt down in front of her, concern written on her face.

"What's wrong Gabi?" Taylor asked and Gabriella sighed.

"It's Alex."

"Did something happen?" Taylor sat down pretzel style next to Gabriella and handed her a water bottle that was in her bag. Gabriella smiled and grabbed it from her, pouring it over her face. Taylor gasped when the water splashed on her body, and looked at Gabriella, more concerned.

Gabriella shook the water off her face and pushed her wet bangs aside. "He's dead." Gabriella stood up, not making any facial expressions. Taylor covered her mouth with her hand and stood up next to Gabriella.

"Oh my god..Gabriella i'm so sorr-"

"Can we just not talk about it? We have to train." Gabriella cut her off and walked over to two boys as they fought.

"Gabriella, you can't train now! Your partn-Alex just died! You shouldn't be doing this!" Taylor ran in front of Gabriella, putting her hand on Gabriellas shoulder.

"He would've wanted me too. So please, let's just continue." Gabriella pushed Taylors hand away and kept walking until she reached the men. The man that was pinning the other down looked up at Gabriella and grinned widely. He stood up, releasing the grasp on the man.

"You still wanna fight?" Gabriella asked. She needed to get out all her anger.

* * *

"So tell me Montez, why were you wet? Did you fall into a lake on your way here?"

"Yes, cause there's so many lakes around." Gabriella responded, rolling her eyes. Her hair was dry now, back to her usual curls. Her bangs somehow managed to dry straight, and Gabriella let them fall back into place. She finished putting on her gloves and smiled when he was ready and in position.

"So how hard do you want it?" He asked, a smirk across his face. What a pervert. She grunted and punched him right in the face with all her strength. He stumbled backwards, clutching his jaw. He moved it to make sure he was alright and looked back at Gabriella, stunned. "What the hell was that for?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were such a pussy, Bolton." Gabriella grinned, putting her hands up in defense. He just ignored her and did the same, but it was obvious he was still in shock. Well, he deserved it, that bastard.

She swung at his face, but he backed his head away, about an inch away from her hand. Her emotions were full of hatred and disgust as she fought him. Normally she would just dislike him in a way, but after everything that happened that day, she was angrier at him. She kind of scared herself.

"Will you chill? This isn't a real fight Gabriella. It's just training."

"Training my ass." She mumbled to herself and threw her leg up at his penis, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. He rolled on the floor, gripping onto his area tightly. She knelt down next to him, pulling his chin toward her face.

"That's for what you did." She spat and slapped him across the face. "And that's for being an asshole." She smirked and stood up, exiting the gym for the day. She felt better after releasing her anger, but she still had a guilt feeling in her stomach when she saw him in pain on the floor. Was she actually feeling guilty for someone she despised?

* * *

When Gabriella returned home after a long day she jumped onto the bed and covered her face with her pillow. She screamed loudly into it and threw it at the wall. Moments later she started crying profusely into her hands, allowing her tears to seep through the cracks in her fingers. She slightly jumped when she heard her phone ringing one of Alex's favorite songs. She quickly answered the call, not having the strength to listen any longer. She would have to change it later.

"Hello?" Gabriella spoke into the phone, trying her best not to sound broken.

"_Hey, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Are you okay?" _

Gabriella smiled into the phone at her best friends worry. Taylor always cared for Gabriella, and she was proud to call her a best friend.

"I'm fine. Just a little shaken up. Do you mind coming over? I don't want to be alone right now." It was true, she was afraid of being alone. Normally Alex would spend the night, nothing really serious, just sleeping. They would spend every waking moment together, but she still had a hard time thinking of him as more of a brother, even if he thought of her as a lover. It didn't matter now..He was gone.

"_I'll be right there." _

"Thanks." And with that, Gabriella ended the call and threw her phone to the end of the bed. It didn't seem real at the moment. Just yesterday she was hanging out with Alex without any worries, and now he was dead, leaving her alone in the world.

About ten minutes later Taylor showed up with a pint of chocolate ice cream in her hand and a DVD in the other.

"Taylor, I wasn't dumped. Someone died." Gabriella told her as they sat down on the couch in the living room. Gabriella lived in a one bedroom apartment, completed with a kitchen, living room, and her room. She loved it here.

"I'm well aware of that." Taylor smiled and put the ice cream on the couch in between them. She handed a spoon to Gabriella and she gratefully accepted it. "Do you know when his funeral is?.."

Gabriella shook her head and scooped some ice cream into her mouth. "That's the thing. Caruso isn't planning a funeral for him. She doesn't want anyone knowing. So she's going to tell people that he was transferred to another facility."

Taylor looked shocked. "That's awful! He's a human!"

Gabriella sighed and wiped away the tear that fell. "I know..She doesn't want to jeopardize any assignments people have. They might be worried or something.."

"That woman has no heart, I swear." Gabriella just nodded and continued melting ice cream in her mouth. "Do you mind if I ask...what happened to him?"

"He was shot down in front of a jewelry store...It's kind of ironic...A spy being shot by a normal man. Not even a threat."

"What was he doing at a jewelry store?" Taylor asked and Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. Her best theory was that he was buying something for her. Their 3 year anniversary of being partners was coming up in a month, and he told her he was getting her something expensive. She kept blaming herself, one of the things she was good at.

"Lets just talk about something else. I don't want to be upset anymore."

Taylor smiled comfortingly and set her spoon down in the ice cream as Gabriella continued to pick at the chocolate. "So tell me what was going on with Troy today? I saw you beat the shit out of him."

Gabriella laughed at the memory and looked Taylor dead in the eye. "He deserved it."

Taylor giggled and nodded. "I know he's a real cocky son of a bitch, but why do you hate him so much? You never really told me why. I just heard a few things from Chad."

Gabriella groaned at the name she mentioned. Chad was Troys best friend, also Taylors partner. Well, more like lifelong partners. When she came here he was one of the people that took an interest in her. Instantly they started going out, and they've been pretty inseparable ever since. Chad used to be Gabriellas good friend as well, but when she stopped speaking to Troy, they drifted.

"What things?"

"Well..." After a moment of thinking Gabriella nudged Taylor to continue. "He told me that you caught Troy doing something, and you never spoke to him again."

"Hm...That sums it up perfectly."

"Care to elaborate?"

Gabriella shook her head and Taylor groaned. "Okay, fine. It started when I came here at 17. I was new and very young. I was partnered with Troy for three years and we had a pretty strong bond. I admit, I fell for him. It was a really bad idea, because I knew Troy was a player. He tried to get with all of the new bimbo spies that were clueless. So I didn't tell him I liked him. Which only made our friendship worse. I always acted weird around him, and he noticed. One day we talked...we kissed...and I thought I was in love. But then I caught him making out with some girl at his house. I promised myself that I would never get mixed up in anything like that ever again and do this for myself. That's when Alex came, and I broke my promise. We became partners and yeah.."

Taylor grabbed Gabriellas hand and held it tightly. "You didn't deserve any of that Gabi."

"I know.."

* * *

The next morning Gabriella walked into the gym once again, fully awake and prepared to train. She just wasn't sure who she was going to train with. It's not like she had many options. Most were paired. Except well, Troy. He just paired up with any girl in his sight. Pig.

"Gabi!" Taylor came running at her, smiling brightly.

Gabriella shot her a confused glance and walked closer, holding onto her bag. "What's going on? Why are you so happy?" Gabriella asked when they both met up.

"Chad said he would train with Troy, so that leaves us to work together." Taylor smiled, trying to catch her breath. Gabriella smiled back excitedly and jumped up and down like a little kid.

"Thank god!" She squealed and they both exchanged giggles. Gabriella walked with Taylor to an empty spot, and she looked over at Troy and Chad. Troy was staring at her, a small smile appearing on his face. Gabriella grunted and looked away from Troy to Taylor.

"You in the mood for yoga?" Gabriella asked and Taylor laughed.

"Are you serious? We aren't supposed to do yoga here. This is for training." No duh.

"I know...but lets live a little. I need to release some stress, not anger at the moment. Please!" Gabriella pleaded, getting down on her knees. She put her hands together and begged the woman in front of her. Taylor rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Fine, but if we get yelled at, i'm blaming you." Yay!

"Will you pay attention, Troy?" Chad asked him, trying to get his attention. Troy just stared away from Chad, moving his hands around like an idiot. He was in his own world. "Troy!" Chad punched Troy hard on the arm and Troy quickly looked at him, angry.

"What the hell?" Troy said, holding onto his arm.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Troy responded and got back into position to fight. Obviously he was looking at something, he just didn't want to get into it with Chad again. Troy was staring at the beauty across the room as she did the most amazing things with her body. Her hair was pulled up once again, letting him see more of her smooth olive skin. Her back was facing him, so he only got a view of her nicely shaped ass, which could make any man go wild. Especially in those spandex shorts of hers.

"There you go again. Will you snap out of it!" Troy groaned, unaware that he was staring again. He apologized and sat down on the floor to stretch out his muscles.

"Troy, were you looking at Gabriella?"

Troy quickly looked at Chad and shook his head. "No, why would I look at her?" He asked nervously.

"Cut with the shit, I saw you staring at her."

"You saw wrong. I would never look at her. She's a bitch."

"A bitch you still like."

Troy rolled his eyes and brought his hand across his chest to crack it. He left it there for a few seconds before doing it with the other. "I don't like her anymore. That was a long time ago." Gabriella has changed a lot since the first time Troy saw her. At first he thought she was pretty, cute, all those simple words. Now she made him go crazy. She was the most beautiful thing he's ever saw. Like a goddess was appearing in front of him.

"Why don't you just tell her the truth?"

"You don't think I tried? She never let me finish. It's too late for that."

"It's never too late."

* * *

Gabriella knocked on the door and stepped inside when she heard the Generals voice. She looked surprised when she walked in and saw Troy sitting down in Alex's usual place. That made her blood boil to a point where she could rip his head off.

"You wanted to see me?" Gabriella asked, walking closer to the woman, but away from Troy.

"Yes, sit down Montez." Gabriella groaned and sat down next to Troy. He winked and she faked like she was gagging. The General turned toward them and she quickly sat up straight, a smile on her face. "Troy, as you know, Gabriella's partner Alex is no longer working with us." Gabriella cringed at her words and Troy seemed to notice her becoming uneasy. She was told not to tell anyone, but she had to tell Taylor. Taylor promised to keep it a secret. And she obviously believed her.

"So that leaves Gabriella partner-less. And since you don't have a full-time partner, I suggest you both work together on her next big mission."

Gabriella choked on the air when the General finished speaking. She turned to look at Troy who had his mouth opened and she looked back at the General. "Can't I just work alone?" Gabriella asked, disappointment in her voice. Troy just sat there, still shocked.

"I'm afraid not. This is a job for two."

"But I do-"

"This isn't up for discussion. You don't have a choice if you still want to do this mission."

Gabriella nodded and slowly left the room, with Troy following behind.

"Gabriella-"

"You listen here, Bolton. We may be partners now, but that does not mean we are going to get along. I still want nothing to do with you. This is fully professional. Understand?" With that Gabriella walked back to the gym, leaving Troy standing there alone and startled. That went well.


	3. History

Gabriella had a hard time sleeping when she returned home from the long day at work last night. Thoughts kept running through her mind, not one good. The mission was in five days. And she was now partnered with Troy. Her best friend was dead, and she was being forced to lie to everyone. Things probably couldn't get worse. But for Gabriella, there were many twists in her life.

"God damn." Gabriella groaned loudly and threw the pillow from under her at her closet. She jumped off the bed, throwing the covers on the floor, and slowly walked out of her bedroom. She pulled at her shorts and ran a hand through her hair before opening her door.

"Finally. Took you long enough." Gabriella leaned against the door frame as she let the two girls walk inside.

"What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be _working_?" Gabriella said, shutting the door. She looked at Taylor who was dressed in baggy sweats, and then turned toward Sharpay, who was dressed the same. Sharpay was her other close, close, friend. Right up there with Taylor. She had long, straight, blonde locks, and was probably the most gorgeous person in the world. Maybe even prettier than Barbie.

"As should you. That's why we're here. You're two hours late."

Gabriella gasped and blinked a few times before glancing at the clock. 10:00 am. Oh god.

"Shit. I must've hit the snooze button." Gabriella shook herself before running to her room. She quickly threw on her grey sweatpants, followed by her pink tank top. She then threw her grey sweatshirt over her arms and glanced once in the mirror. She looked like she was dead. Before she ran back out she brushed her hair once, bringing it back into it's normal beautiful curls.

"Why didn't you guys call?" Gabriella asked as she stepped in her sandels. Both girls laughed and Gabriella grabbed her phone from her pocket. She looked down and sighed. 20 missed calls. "Sorry guys. I had a lot on my mind." Gabriella slightly smiled and opened the door, both girls following behind.

"Just be ready. Boss is pissed." Gabriella frowned to herself and nodded. It was going to be another long day.

* * *

After being yelled out for 20 minutes, non stop, Gabriella stepped into a small gym, not near the size of the other gym. General Caruso demanded her to work with Troy today due to their lack of partnership. Gabriella just nodded and agreed.

"You look like shit."

"Really? Cause when I looked in the mirror today I was aiming to look kind of like you. Great to know I passed." Gabriella hissed at the girl as she left the small room, a groan coming out of her mouth. "Stupid bitch."

Gabriella threw her bag across the room and as she sighed, a loud cough overcame her thoughts.

"You're late."

"No shit, Sherlock. I see you were training without me. With _her._" Gabriella scoffed, walking toward her bag that she soon regretted throwing. She knelt down and unzipped it, not giving two shits what Troy was muttering to himself. She put her socks on, followed by her white sneakers.

"Actually, I was chilling in the cafeteria waiting for your ass. Kristen just happened to be here." Troy spat back, and Gabriella heard his footsteps from behind her. She groaned and jerked her head to face him.

"Yeah, she just _happens_ to be everywhere." Gabriella furiously pulled her water bottle out and pushed her bangs out of her face. She stood up and glared at him.

"Will you quit it? I told you a million fucking times that she-"

"Don't. You. Dare. Finish. That. Sentence." Gabriella gritted her teeth as her small hands clenched into fists. She didn't care for his excuses. And she did not want to relive the moment in her brain once again.

"You're so fucking stubborn." Troy mumbled under his breath and Gabriellas head shot up. She squinted her eyes, shaking her head and lunged at him from across the room. "What the he-" Gabriella pounced on him, sending him falling to the ground.

"Fuck you, you asshole. I hate you." Gabriella started for the door, running a hand through her hair. Gabriella stopped short when he shouted her name from the floor. Reluctantly she twisted her head so their eyes met. "I'll be back" Gabriella took one large breath and continued "And when I come back, you don't say one word to me. In fact, don't even look me in the eye." Troys jaw tightened, and Gabriella heard a loud gulp come from his throat. She sighed and left Troy alone in the room. "You lost that privilege a long time ago." She whispered to herself, hoping he couldn't hear her soft cries.

* * *

"God dammit. I'm so fed up with his bullshit. Maybe i'm overreacting, or maybe i'm not. But I can't stand him. I really can't stand him. Every time I see him, I just want to smack that stupid grin off his face." Gabriella babbled, speaking extremely fast. She looked down and scratched the back of her neck lightly. "You know that though. And you usually would help me through this. Now here I am. Alone. Just like before." Gabriella let a tear trickle down her cheek and quickly wiped it off. "I miss you, Alex. So, so much." She played with the hems of the sweatshirt she was so intrigued with, and sobbed quietly to herself. After putting it on she stood up and glanced at herself in the mirror. Any sane person would probably go to a grave site and tell the deceased their issues, but not in this case. Alex still didn't have a proper ceremony. He would probably never have one. So for now, she was stuck talking to herself alone, hoping he was there with her to listen.

"Why did you have to die?" Gabriella shouted to herself in the mirror, anger boiling in her body. She shook her head angrily and let more tears fall down her already wet-stained face. Her hand balled into a fist, and without the willpower to stop, Gabriellas hand pounded into the wall next to the mirror. She screamed in agony as she pulled it back, blood dripping from her knuckles. "You idiot!" Gabriella muttered to herself, holding tightly onto her throbbing hand. The movies obviously failed to mention how much it would actually hurt performing this action. She turned the facet on and let the cold water fall onto her bloody hand. For a good five minutes she left it there before locating a bandage in the small restroom. She wrapped it around her hand and groaned loudly, noticing how much more it hurt without the water. "Rule number 105, don't actually punch your fist into the wall. Try using Troys head." Gabriella giggled sarcastically after hearing the words flow out her mouth. She shook her head in amusement and left the bathroom, making her way back to the devil. She was definitely going crazy.

* * *

Troys head shot up from his hands that were placed in his lap when he heard the door creaking open. He watched as an angry Gabriella walked past him without one stare, and silently sighed. He stood up from the floor and waited until she spoke, sending him some kind of sign they were still going to work together.

"You ready?" Gabriella asked, her back still facing him. Troy slightly smiled, but quickly straightened out when she turned to look at him. He nodded and made his way to the center of the room.

"Uh..What happened to your hand?" Troy questioned after he noticed the bandage wrapped smoothly around her left hand.

"Non of your fucking business." Gabriella shot back, removing her hand from his view. He grunted, clearly angry. He was trying to be nice to her, after everything she said. But he couldn't do it much longer with her damn snobby attitude.

"Whatever." Was all Troy could actually get out from his mouth. He had a lot of thoughts lingering in his mind. Especially how she hurt her hand. It wasn't like Gabriella to randomly show up with a wound after about 30 minutes of alone time.

"Now lets get this over with. I wanna go home." Gabriella said. Troy nodded and quickly looked at the clock pinned against the wall.

"You do realize there's a whole lot of time until you can actually go home? So it looks like you're going to be stuck with me for a while." Troy tried holding back a grin, but it made it's way to his face.

Gabriella ignored his grin and laughed sarcastically. She fixed her tank top and sweatpants and looked at him once again. He walked closer to her, leaving them only a few feet away. "Show me what you got." Gabriella hadn't fought with him in over three years, she didn't know how good he got over time. _If _he actually got any better.

"I'd love too." Troy winked, raising both fists in front of him. Gabriella rolled her eyes and did the same. Stupid idiot. Before she could go for the hit, Troy pushed her shoulders back, and she fell to the ground with a loud thump.

"What the fuck, Bolton? Are you in kindergarten!" Gabriella yelled, balancing herself up by her elbows. He smirked holding out a hand to her. She groaned and went to reach for it when he pulled it back. "Stop!" She banged her left hand on the ground in anger and a yelp escaped her mouth. "Dammit!"

Troys smirk left his face and he quickly knelt down next to her, examining her hand. "You alright?"

"Do I look alright? You pushed me." Gabriella spat, looking him dead in the eye. He rolled his eyes for a change and grabbed her hand from the ground.

"I meant about your hand idi-Gabriella." Troy controlled his words and looked back down at her hand. Blood was seeping through the bandage, some making its way on his fingers.

"Stupid hand." Gabriella mumbled and Troy chuckled aloud. He gently rubbed over the bandage and she winced at the feeling.

"You'll be fine. You've dealt with worse." Troy told her. Gabriella nodded and pulled her hand away from his grasp, not liking the feeling it left when he touched her skin. Memories flooded her mind, reminding her of all their small missions they had. He was right. She did deal with worse. A lot worse.

"Great." Troy nodded in agreement and held his hand out once again. "What do you want me to do with that?" Gabriella asked, looking at it disgustingly.

"Take it. So I can help you up."

"You're the one that pushed me down here, and now you want to help me up?" Gabriella raised her eyebrow, leaning back against her elbows.

"Just fucking take it Gabriella."

Gabriella groaned and grabbed his hand with her right, allowing him to pull her up. "Why the hell did you push me anyway?"

Troy shrugged his shoulders and brought her to her feet. "You looked like you wanted to skin me alive. I just needed to keep myself safe." Troy grinned, backing away when Gabriella went to punch his shoulder.

"Fuck you Bol-"

"**Attention Spies. Everyone on the third floor please meet in gym 2B. Again, everyone on the third floor please meet in gym 2B. Thank you."**

Gabriella listened closely to the voice on the loud speaker and then back to Troy. "Should we go..?" Troy asked and Gabriella nodded, laughing. "No fucking duh." Troy sighed. She seemed to use that word in every sentence. And everytime, that was the only word he paid attention too. And she was the only girl that made that word turn into something related to sex.

* * *

Gabriella fixed her hand in the bathroom and walked out, seeing Troy waiting for her. She smiled to herself, not letting him see, and walked in front of him. He stood a few feet behind her. They reached the gym after a few minutes and when Troy and Gabriella parted ways inside the gym, both couldn't help but feel relieved. They were walking in such an uncomfortable silence, Gabriella swore she could hear crickets.

"Hey guys." Gabriella said to the two girls standing next to each other, both leaning against the wall. She smiled for the first time this whole day when both girls faces lit up at her presence.

"Gabs, hey." Taylor said, pulling Gabriella to the side of her. Gabriella squeezed in between both of them and stood in the middle.

"Hola." Gabriella waved across her face and giggled. "Do any of you actually know why we're here?"

"Nope. Just as clueless as you." Sharpay joked, staring across the gym.

Gabriella nodded and slowly looked in front of Sharpay. What the hell was she looking at? "Tay." Gabriella whispered at her friend, nudging her on the arm. Taylor stared at her confused, and Gabriella jerked her head to the side. Taylor made an 'o' shape with her mouth and looked in the same direction Sharpay was looking. After a few minutes of staring like Sharpay, Gabriella gave up.

"What the fuck are you looking at?" Gabriella screeched, throwing her hand over her mouth in an instant.

"What?" Sharpay looked at Gabriella, startled. Gabriella removed her hand and smiled a little, trying to lighten the mood she just brought upon them.

"What she meant was," Taylor started in a calm tone, but Sharpay zoned off again. "Where are you staring?" Taylor shouted, now startling Gabriella as well. Gabriella giggled quietly when Sharpay bounced back to Earth.

"Nothing. Jeez." Sharpay told them, not bothering to look back across the gym.

"Obviously something since it's all you've been looking at." Taylor stated, and Gabriella nodded, backing up the statement.

"I was just thinking. Not staring."

Both Gabriella and Taylor looked at each other and said "Oh." That explains a lot. There weren't even any people across the gym. Everyone was lined up against the wall. Probably about 50 people.

"Well?" Taylor asked.

"Well what?"

"What are you thinking, than?" Gabriella asked right after, noticing Sharpay not paying attention. "God dammit, Shar will you listen?"

Sharpay was about to respond when the General walked in, five guards walking behind. They all made Troy look like a weakling. Wait, why did she bring up his name?

"Hello everyone. Thank you for coming." The General said, looking directly at Gabriella. What did she do now? "I came here to have a discussion with all of you." No duh. "I've noticed lately that most of you have been acting lazy. And that will not do." She sighed before continuing. "So let this be a lesson on how you should fight. Not the preschool ways you have been doing." Preschool? No one acted like that in preschool. The General glanced at Gabriella and pointed to her. Gabriellas eyes widened and her heart stopped. No, please, god no. Not again. "For all the new spies, I'd like to show a small demonstration on the basic fighting. Gabriella, will you please come here."

Gabriella groaned loudly, and heard giggles coming from either side of her. She sent them both death glares before walking toward the General. She stood next to her when the guards walked backwards, giving her space. "Thank you. Now can I have a volunteer to help?" Gabriella sighed as all eyes were on her. The General was acting like this was actually gym class. They were adults, not kids. "Thank you, Kristen." Gabriella jumped at the words and watched as Kristen came walking to them, a smile plastered on her face. Gabriellas jaw tightened and she stared the girl down.

"You may start whenever." The General told both girls and walked closer to Gabriella. "What happened to your hand?" She whispered in her ear, and backed away, waiting for a response.

"Nothing, it just helps my punches." Gabriella lied and the General nodded, walking away. Caruso wasn't aware with the tension between Troy and her, or even Kristen and her. Explains why she's been torturing her lately.

"Did Gabriella get a booboo?" Kristen whispered. She smirked and pushed her hair like a princess. Gabriella rolled her eyes and clenched her fists. When the General was far enough from the girls, Gabriella got into position. There were two sides to this. The good one being Gabriella would get to kick her ass. The bad part being the General would have to watch her as she did it. She wasn't ready for the punishment of killing a fellow spy. Not yet, anyway.

Gabriella looked at her two friends one last time, smiling when she saw their worried faces. They knew how this was going to end. Gabriellas smile turned into a frown when she saw Troy staring intensely at her. She wondered how mad he would be that she was going to kill the girl he kissed while Gabriella was in love with Troy. Gabriella sighed, pushing the thoughts aside and kept looking at Troy. He actually looked worried. But for which girl? Gabriella slightly smiled at him, not really sure where it came from. The corner of his lips rose, and soon his eyes widened when Gabriella went flying back. She groaned loudly and held her jaw with her right hand.

"You fucking bitch." Gabriella muttered, standing up. Kristen giggled and blew on her hand as if it was a gun.

"Still in love with Troy I see? To bad he will never love you. Never has, never wi-" Gabriella cut her off by throwing herself at her. Fuck the fight, Gabriella was bringing it back to high school.

"Get off you crazy bitch!" Kristen screamed as Gabriella yanked at her gorgeous blonde roots. Gabriella could see a crowd of people running toward the fight, but Gabriella ignored it and Kristen seemed to as well. Kristen got on top of Gabriella and started banging her head against the floor.

"Fucking whore!" Kristen shouted, making Gabriella angrier. As Gabriellas head kept pounding against the floor, she through a fist toward Kristens face and she fell backwards on the floor.

"Fuck you!" Gabriella yelled, standing up and walking to her. Two hands wrapped around her arms and pulled her back. They tightened their grasp as Gabriella started squirming.

"Brie, calm down." Gabriella shook faster when she heard the husky voice holding her. And the nickname made it worse. He had no right.

"Get off!" Gabriella hissed and elbowed him in his ribs. He groaned, but that just caused him to keep his grasp on her.

"I'm going to kill you!" Gabriella heard Kristen scream from across the room as she was being dragged out of the gym. Gabriella smirked when she could see a hint of blood on the mat. And it wasn't Gabriellas.

"Bring her in my office. Now." The General walked past Troy and Gabriella, looking extremely angry.

"Yeah, bring me in her office. Now." Gabriella mocked in a low voice and started giggling. She felt sort of drunk. A few moments later, Gabriella realized she was already at the doors of the gym. "So who were you rooting for, Troy?" Gabriella asked, smirking in the process. She felt her feet lift off the ground and screamed when Troy threw her over his shoulder.

"Stop talking." Troy demanded and Gabriella rolled her eyes. There was his answer.

* * *

So how are you guys liking this story so far? :D Thank you guys so much for the reviews by the way! I love it :)


	4. Friends

The drunk feeling completely washed off, filling with fear from head to toe. Never in her life has she been yelled at as much as she was now. Actually, Gabriella hadn't even yelled at someone like this.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" The General slammed her fists on her desk and stared at a wide-eyed girl seated in front of her.

Gabriella nodded. Her hands were becoming sweaty, and Troys chuckles were not helping. Why did he have to stay anyway?

"Never again will you ever disobey me and hurt a fellow spy. This is your first warning. Get a second one, and you're off the mission." When Gabriella nodded she continued. "And until this mission is over, you will work extra hard to prove you are a worthy spy...With Troy and Kristen as your partners."

"What?" Gabriellas head shot up and she shook her head quickly. Was this bitch crazy? Did she want Gabriella to permanently leave the mission?

"All three of you will get along. Or so help me god, I will transfer you. You start tomorrow, and I expect you to treat her with respect." Gabriella turned back to Troy and opened her mouth to speak when the General interrupted. "That will be all. Out of my office."

Troy was probably as shocked as Gabriella. For the first time, they were both agreeing on something. Even though Gabriella thought otherwise about it, Troy hated Kristen as well. He never cared for her. Not one bit.

"Is she serious? I'm going to kill that skanky whore! She started this shit! I bet she wasn't fucking yelled at! Caruso probably asked her how her $2,000 nose was!" Gabriella babbled while walking down the hallway. She stopped short and scoffed, then started walking once again. Troy followed behind, nodding his head at whatever Gabriella said. He was just waiting for her to bring up something about the past.

"I fucking hate her. Hate her, hate her, hate her." Gabriella repeated while stomping into the small gym. Of course, Kristen was seated on the floor across the room, a bandage around her nose. Gabriella covered her mouth to suppress a giggle and turned to Troy, stopping him from walking any further.

"If you two gang up on me, I'm shooting you both in the head." Gabriella whispered, seriousness in her eyes. Troy rolled his and looked over her shoulder at Kristen. Why the hell was that girl smirking?

"I don't intend on speaking to her. I don't fucking like her, alright?" Troy said when he turned back to look at Gabriella. Gabriella chuckled and laughed sarcastically.

"Not what you said when you were ripping at her shir-" Troy yanked her out of the room and into the hallway, pinning her against the wall. He shut the door so Kristen couldn't hear, and caged her in.

"I'm only going to tell you this once. And I will not be interrupted this time. Okay?" Troy looked down at her, and Gabriellas body shook a little. He looked so angry, so..evil. Gabriella nodded and gulped quietly.

"I don't care if it's overused, but she came to my house, crying to me about her mother dying. The next thing I know, she's making out with me and telling me how much she loves me. But don't you get it? I never loved her. I never kissed her back. I was in love with you. For the first time in my life, I wasn't interested in anyone else besides a specific brunette." Troy paused for a moment and looked down. "I need you to stop being so stubborn and realize how much you meant to me." He looked up, staring deeply into her watery chocolate orbs. Her lips quivered as she was about to speak, but Troy pressed his lips against hers before she had the chance. She stood there shocked at he rubbed his lips with hers, trying to prove his point. Gabriellas eyes suddenly closed, and she felt herself kissing back with the same amount of passion. Troy pulled their lips apart before it could get any further, and released his arms from around her.

"I fucking loved you, Montez. And I still do." Troy leaned his forehead on hers and pecked her once on her shaking lips, before walking back into the gym.

"Oh god.." Gabriella whispered, and gently touched her lips, letting a tear escape her eye.

* * *

After the whole 'Troy' incident, Gabriella headed home, inviting Taylor and Sharpay over. She couldn't face him that day. She wasn't even sure if she could face him tomorrow. Which was extremely hard. She was confused. So confused. More confused than she had ever been. If he loved her so much, why didn't he run after her? Why did he just let her go? He could've forced her to listen, he could've managed it. Of course, this was mostly her fault for being so stupid not to listen. But if he truly loved her like he said, he would've found a way to make things right. And now, she had to train with someone she was still in love with, and someone that also seemed to be in love with him. The main problem wasn't that she hated him anymore. Now it was her controlling herself, and trying to trust him once again. He made his point clear back at the warehouse on how he felt.

"Hey guys." Gabriella said, wiping her cheeks. Both girls entered the apartment and Gabriella shut the door behind her. Sharpay was the first to pull Gabriella into a big hug, squeezing her until she couldn't breathe.

"Oh god. Are you okay?" Sharpay whispered when she pulled away. Gabriella shook her head and started profusely crying. Both girls pulled her in for another hug and allowed her to cry on them.

"I...hate...my...life.." Gabriella spoke in between sobs and closed her bloodshot eyes. Taylor pulled her over to the couch and let Gabriella rest her head on her chest. "Alex..Troy..Kristen.." Gabriella said, still crying immensely. She wiped remaining tears and looked up at Taylor. "I love him."

Taylor nodded and rubbed her back comfortingly, also taking a glance at Sharpay. Sharpay whispered soothing words to her and sighed. "I know you do, Gabs."

"How?" Gabriella got out, looking at a blurry Sharpay.

"You never stop loving your first true love. I thought a lot about it. And this just proved it." Sharpay whispered, taking Gabriellas hand into hers. "It's okay that you do."

"Uh, Sharpay, can I speak to you in private for a moment?" Taylor cut in, jerking her head toward the kitchen. Sharpay sent her a confused stare but nodded and walked with her.

"Are you seriously telling her it's okay to love him? He broke her heart Sharpay! And the girl he cheated on her with tried to beat Gabi's head in!" Taylor shouted through a whisper, holding onto Sharpays arm. Sharpay looked back at Gabriella, and then to Taylor.

"We can't force her to not love him. It's what ever she wants, so if this is what she wants, we have to agree with her."

"What kind of best friends would we be then?" Taylor asked, shocked by Sharpays come backs.

"Good ones."

* * *

Gabriella woke up the next morning with a killer headache. She wasn't sure if it was from the constant crying, or from the big bump that finally formed on her head. When she finished her daily routine for the morning, she left the apartment, her eyes still feeling sore from all the tears that came out. It was probably as worse as when she heard about Alex. Oh how she wished he was there with her. He would make her stronger, and she would be able to resist Troy. But now, she was like a little lost puppy.

Gabriellas pocket vibrated and she reached to grab her phone as she made her way to her car. She turned the screen on and clicked on the one new text message.

_From: 505-254-9687_

_Meet me in room 3A on the 4th floor b4 u go 2 the gym._

_We need to talk alone. Plz. _

_-Troy_

Gabriella sighed and deleted the text message when she got in her automobile. She had no idea what she was going to do now.

After about 10 minutes of knocking on the air, Gabriella finally had the guts and knocked on the door to 3A. She wasn't sure what the room was, but it contained Troy. And he was right. They needed to talk.

The door opened, revealing Troy in black basketball shorts and a white t-shirt. He had dark bags under his eyes, and very messy hair. He must of not gotten that much sleep, like her.

"Thanks for coming." Troy told her as he motioned his hand for her to come inside. She nodded and walked past him, biting on her lip hard. She was never more nervous.

"Can I talk first?" Gabriella asked when they were both settled in the..lounge? Gabriella studied the small room, wondering why she was never in here before. She took a seat on the couch and Troy ran a hand through his hair before nodding.

"I-I..I thought a lot about what you said." Gabriella stuttered. She took in a deep breath and looked closely at Troy. "I'm really sorry...You were right, I was stupid."

"Finally." Troy said, a small smile on his face. He sat down on the arm chair across from her and placed his elbows on his knees, allowing him to lean over. "I'm sorry too, Gabriella. I never meant to hurt you."

"I know.." Gabriella added, looking down. There was a moment of silence before she looked back up at him. "Why didn't you come after me?"

Troy sighed, leaning back against the chair. "I didn't want to hurt you anymore. I thought you might want some time. I never realized it would take _this _long."

"I didn't need time, Troy. I just needed the truth. I needed you." Gabriella said as she stood up. She walked past him to the door and looked back once. "I forgive you. But we're only going to be friends. I don't know if I can completely trust you yet." And with that she left the room, feeling like she had made a big mistake ever listening to Troy. The girl that gave in to Troys charm was coming back. The girl that she hated more than Kristen was coming back. Her old self.

* * *

"Will you stop turning your fucking punches into slaps?" Gabriella yelled, startling Troy. Kristen rolled her eyes and sat down in the corner.

"I'm taking a break. You're too fucking bossy."

"I'm too bossy? I'll give you bossy bitch!" Gabriella hissed at her, getting ready to lunge. Troy stepped in front of Gabriella and shook his head. Gabriella looked up at him, his large hand in front of her.

"She's not worth it." Gabriella nodded and stepped back. Only because she didn't want to be kicked off the mission.

"Mmm, that's what Troy used to tell me about you." Kristen muttered under her breath. Gabriella stopped short and jerked her head around.

"What the fuck did you say?" Gabriella spat, clenching her fists. Troy grabbed her hand, but Gabriella shook it off and walked closer to Kristen.

"I didn't say anything." Kristen told her as she stood up to face Gabriella. Gabriella got right in front of her, their faces only inches apart.

"I'm not an idiot. Tell me what you fucking said Kristen."

Kristen laughed in her face and stared in her eyes. "You're so small without that Alex around."

Hearing Kristen say his name, Gabriella had enough. She shoved Kristen against the wall and raised her hand to punch her in her already broken nose. Two hands quickly wrapped around her waist and pulled her back, causing her to hit the air.

"Get the fuck out now Kristen. And don't come back until you can keep your damn comments to yourself." Troy growled at her, still holding Gabriella tightly.

"But Tro-"

"Fucking get out." Troy said through his gritted teeth. Gabriella chuckled as she watched Kristen walk out of the room like a snob.

"Can you please try not to hurt her? I know you are dying inside to do it, but please, don't." Troy spun her around, so they both were staring at each other.

"It's not that easy." Gabriella played with her bandage on her hand and sighed.

"Well try a little harder, okay? I really don't want to work alone with her on this mission." Troy let go of his grasp on her and Gabriella couldn't help but laugh.

"I know how bad that would be. So maybe for you, I'll force myself not to hurt her." What the hell did she just say? She wasn't supposed to be friendly with him, yet.

"Thanks, Brie." Troy turned around to walk to his bag and left Gabriella standing there alone, still confused on why she wasn't mad about him calling her Brie again. Turning around as well, she let a small smile come across her face.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella spent the next few days, trying their hardest not to flip out at Kristen. Both Troy and Gabriella were on friendly terms now. As much as she hated giving in, she couldn't not be friends with him. He was starting to turn into the same person he was when she first came here. He was becoming her best friend again, and she wasn't so upset about that. They both ignored anything Kristen said and continued their normal training, acting as if she wasn't even there. So when Gabriella was called into the Generals office, she was a little hesitant about leaving Troy alone with her. She shouldn't have to worry. He promised her his only feelings toward Kristen were hatred. And she was going to have to believe him if they were going to work out their friendship. She even had to forget about the small kiss they had before. They couldn't be like that again.

"You wanted to see me?" Gabriella asked, walking in and knocking once on the door. The General looked up from her stack of papers and smiled, nodding her head.

"Have a seat Ms. Montez." Gabriella faked a smile and sat down in her usual chair. She has been in this office way to much. It was like the principals office.

"So, tomorrow is the big mission. Are you excited?"

Gabriella nodded and interlaced her fingers together. "I love stealing diamonds." Gabriella joked, happy to see to Caruso laughing.

"Ah, yes. I thought the same thing." The General stopped laughing, and her serious face replaced her smile. "I just wanted to inform you that you have a training mission in two hours with Troy."

"Okay." Gabriella said, thinking about her last practice mission with Alex. She sighed and quickly re-said the sentence in her brain. "What about Kristen?"

"Kristen? Oh dear, no. She's not ready for a mission this big yet." Gabriella laughed in her mind. Kristen was there the same time Gabriella was, but she still wasn't ready for a mission like this?

"Then why is she training with us?" Gabriella asked, her voice a little loud.

"I needed to know if you could handle yourself. And you passed. So she wont be a bother anymore."

Gabriella squealed happily and quickly coughed when the General tilted her head at her. "Thank you. So much." Gabriella whispered before jumping off the chair and running out the room.

"Spies." General Caruso sighed, returning back to her papers.

* * *

When Gabriella finally got to the gym, she opened the door to see Troy sitting on the ground, alone. He must of heard the amazing news as well.

"Troy!" Gabriella shouted, running at him. His eyes widened as he stood up and Gabriella jumped in his arms.

"We don't have to work with the bitch anymore!" She giggled happily, wrapping her arms around his neck. She heard him laugh and quickly came back into reality. She got off him and stepped on the floor, fixing her outfit. "Sorry, I got a little excited."

"You should of seen her face when she found out." Troy said, winking. Gabriella laughed and raised her hand for a high five. He went to place his hand on hers but she pulled it away.

"Too slow." Gabriella joked, sticking her tongue out at him.

"That wasn't very nice." Troy told her, crossing his arms over his chest. He pouted and turned around.

"Oh, don't be such a pussy Troy. It's not my fault you have bad reflexes." Gabriella heard a loud sob and raised an eyebrow. "Troy?" Gabriella tapped lightly on his shoulder and he grabbed her hand, bringing her falling to the floor.

"Troy!" Gabriella shouted as they both fell to the ground, landing right on top of him. Troy placed his hand on hers and smirked.

"High five."

Gabriella laughed and pushed his hand away. She put both hands on the floor to keep her balance and their eyes connected. Both smiles turned into pursed lips, and Troy pushed a strand of her dangling hair behind her ear. His hand cupped her cheek, and she closed her eyes, leaning into it.

"We should get ready. We have a test in less than two hours." Gabriella said, getting off of him. She noticed his disappointed look on his face and felt her heart break. She liked the feeling of being that close to him a little too much, for being 'friends'.


	5. Faith

"So, what do we have to do anyway?"

"She never told you?" Gabriella gasped, jerking her head up.

"Uh, no. She said you would tell me."

Gabriella stood up from the ground and started pacing around the room, running a hand through her curly locks. "Well she forgot to mention that to me! Troy, this whole time you didn't know what the mission was?"

Troy looked down and smiled, trying to seem innocent. He shrugged his shoulders and started tying his laces to his sneaker.

"We have a test in less then 10 minutes, how am I going to prepare you?" Gabriella slouched down back against the wall and sighed loudly, triggering an emotion in Troy.

"Hey, will you take a breath? I'm a quick learner."

"You should of told me this earlier, Troy." She shook her head and looked up at him, feeling a little relieved that he was actually a good spy. Probably as good as her, just with less experience.

"Yeah, well we weren't on the best of terms." He said as he stood up and sat down next to her. He smirked and poked at her side. "Cheer up though, will you? I got this." He winked, extremely confident in himself. Gabriella giggled and poked him back on his shoulder.

"I'll try to sum it up as best as I can, okay?"

Troy nodded and rested his hand on her thigh. When she looked down, her mouth opened a little, he quickly pulled his hand back to his lap. He forgot they were just friends. He just didn't understand how they could still be friends when he poured his heart out to her and kissed her. But he was respecting her wishes. He just wanted something with her, whatever it may be.

"Shoot." He demanded in a low tone, trying to make things more comfortable. She nodded and started to speak.

"It's really simple. We just have to go to a party, steal a diamond, and get out of there before we get killed. The test is just getting the diamond out of the case without triggering the alarm. Every time Alex and I tried, he failed to get it right. So make this time different, Bolton." Gabriella waited for his reaction, which only was a nod.

"That's it?"

Gabriella nodded as well. "I'll tell you more details tomorrow."

"Got it." Troy told her as he stood up. He held out his hand and she reached out to grab it.

"Thanks." Gabriella smiled when he helped her up, and she fixed the creases in her black t-shirt and patted down her skinny jeans. "You ready to prove me wrong?"

"As I'll ever be." Troy joked as both of them exited the room and Troy glanced back once before shutting the light off.

* * *

"You have the laser?"

"Yup."

"And the back-up?"

"Yup."

"And you have the-"

"Gabriella! I have everything, okay?" Troy cut her off, leaving Gabriella startled. She sighed and nodded. She just wanted this to be different. But every time she thought about how wrong this could go, she just thought of Alex. Maybe she wasn't emotionally ready.

"Are you ready?" Gabriella asked, looking up at him. He nodded and placed his hand on the doorknob to the testing room.

"Are you?" He stared at her, his eyes half full of concern, and the other half full of something Gabriella couldn't point out. She nodded and took one big breath.

"Lets get this over with." With that, Troy opened the door and they both walked inside, studying the room. Gabriellas throat tightened when the doors shut with a loud bang, and she wiped a drop of sweat from her forehead. Troy looked next to him and noticed Gabriella panicking.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked, lifting her chin up. She shook her head and quickly turned around to grab the door handle. Troys warm hand wrapped around her now healed hand and pulled her toward him. "What's wrong, Brie?

"I see him everywhere.." Gabriella choked out, feeling her eyes water. She thought she could be stronger than this. But when she looked around, she just saw Alex. It killed her inside.

"Who?"

"Alex.." Gabriella whispered, wiping the single tear that fell down her cheek. He raised an eyebrow and rubbed her arm soothingly.

"Brie he's not dead. You can visit him any time you want." Troy smiled down at her, but that only caused her to start fully crying.

"He is dead Troy!" Gabriella shouted in her whisper and glanced at the camera above her. She quickly wiped her tears and looked at Troys expression.

"But I thought he was-"

"She lied, Troy. He died. And I can't do this." Gabriella pushed his hand off and opened the door, leading her out of the room. She started running toward the bathroom, ignoring Troys calls for her.

* * *

"Gabi, please open up. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Just go away Troy!" Gabriella shouted and placed her head in her hands.

Troy cringed slightly when he heard her soft sobs from inside the bathroom. He sighed and leaned down the door and got himself into a sitting position, his back against it.

"Whenever you're ready to talk, you know I'm here."

Gabriellas head jerked up when she heard his breathing from the other side. She turned her head so her nose was leaning on the door and placed her hand over it. She took a deep breath and placed the back of her head against the bathroom door once again.

"He was on his way to pick up something for me, Troy. And I just feel like it's my fault that he's dead." Gabriella huffed, looking up at the ceiling. "The General won't even give him a real funeral. She's treating it like he's a worthless human being. Oh, did I mention she's forcing me to keep it a secret?"

Troy instantly felt his heart shatter into a million pieces. He wanted to be there for her, to help her through this. How could someone be so inconsiderate and make her keep someones death a secret? Especially her best friends death?

"God, Brie. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how you feel. If I ever lost y-" Troy quickly stopped himself for finishing the sentence and widened his eyes. Was he really about to say that?

Gabriella pressed her ear to the door, in case Troy was talking to quietly that she couldn't hear. She leaned in further and felt confused when she heard him randomly stop. Was he about to say- you? Gabriella reached for the door handle and opened it without thinking. He quickly fell backwards and Gabriella helped push him up. She smiled shyly at him and stood up.

"You okay?" He asked as they both stood next to each other. His thumb wiped away her remaining tears and she looked up at him.

"Can you just hold me?" Gabriella asked, holding back a sob. Troy nodded and pulled her closer to him, wrapping both arms around her. He frowned when he felt his shirt soaking and his body vibrating. He rubbed her back and continued to let her cry on him.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Troy cupped her face in his hand and she nodded in it.

"I have to. Just stay here okay? I won't be long."

"I won't go anywhere." Troy smiled, pulling his hand away. Gabriella sighed and started for the door. She slowly turned her head and let a small smile take over.

"Thanks Troy. You're a good friend." Gabriella opened the door and shut if behind her, disappearing from Troy. Troy winced at the words and put both hands in his pockets. Yeah, a friend.

* * *

"Hi, General. I hope I'm not bothering you." Gabriella started feeling guilty for not actually knocking. But she needed to get away from Troy for a bit. She was starting to feel too good in his arms.

"No, not at all. Are you okay? How was the training mission?" The General asked as Gabriella sat down. She didn't turn once to look at the seat besides her.

"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about."

"Is something wrong?" The General took her reading glasses off and placed them down on her desk. She had her full attention on Gabriella now, and Gabriella just nodded.

"I know how much this means to you, and I know you know how much this means to me..But I just don't think.. I wish I could..just..Alex.." She sniffed, trying her hardest to hold her tears back.

"I was expecting this." She sighed, reaching over to grab Gabriellas hand. "I already arranged for two other spies to do the mission. I had a feeling it was going to come to this."

Gabriellas eyes widened and she looked directly at the General. "But-"

"Gabriella, I told you, you weren't ready. It's incredibly hard to deal with a loss like this. I understand that. So I had to make sure everything would work out okay in the end."

"How-" Gabriella was starting to become furious. She never had faith in her from the beginning.

"You can take off as long as you want, dear. Whenever you are ready, you can come back."

Gabriellas mouth opened in shock and she pulled her hand away from her grasp. "I never said I wasn't doing the mission!" Gabriella lied completely. The whole point was to tell her she wasn't ready for the mission. But if this bitch didn't have faith in her, how could anyone else? She wanted to prove her wrong again. And she did promise Alex she would go through with this. Whatever the outcome.

Caruso moved back, startled at Gabriellas outburst.

"I'm still doing the mission. I just refuse to do the practice one. It isn't necessary." Gabriella thought of something quickly, hoping it would make some sense. She stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the General still shocked.

"Hey, how did it go?" Troy asked. He gasped when she slammed the door loudly and pushed past him. "Brie?" Troy ran after her, gripping onto her shoulder. She turned around, still mumbling to herself.

"That bitch. She doesn't think I can do it? Well I'll show her. We'll show her how good we are. Fuck her for thinking I'm not good enough." Gabriella hissed, looking around the room, furious.

"What the hell happened back there?" Troy cut in, hoping she wouldn't continue her rant. She sighed and took a deep breath.

"She knew I would let Alex get the best of me. She already had other spies ready to go." Gabriella looked down so she couldn't look at Troy. "Am I really that weak?"

"Hey, hey. You aren't weak. Not at all." Troy pulled her into a hug and for the second time that day she started crying into his chest.

"I'm going to prove to her that I can do this without fucking up." Gabriella stated in his chest. He sighed and continued to let her release her tears. He knew she wasn't ready. She was ready to give up the mission not too long ago. That worried him. She was the kind of girl that hid her feelings and acted like everything was okay, when it clearly wasn't. And it couldn't end well for her. Or possibly, him.

* * *

"Do you mind finding Taylor and Sharpay? I really need to talk to them."

Troy nodded and knelt down beside her. "I just want you to know, you don't need to prove yourself to her. You know you're strong, Brie. That's all that should matter."

Gabriella sighed and looked up at him. "Please."

Troy gently stroked her shoulder before he stood up and left the small gym to fetch her friends. When he reached the elevator he mentally cursed himself at the view in the tight space. He kept his eyes on the ground and walked inside, pressing the button for the floor the gym was located on.

"Oh stop pretending I'm not here Troy." The girl spat next to him, causing Troy to groan in frustration. He looked at the ceiling, trying his best to ignore her. "Troy! God damn! Answer me!"

Troy rolled his eyes and waited impatiently for the elevator to get to the floor.

"Fuck you then." The girls fingers pressed against the emergency stop, and the elevator came to a sudden halt.

"What the fuck Kristen?" Troy growled, reaching out to press the button. Kristen shook her head and walked in front of it, blocking it with her body. She pushed Troy backwards and moved her pointer finger.

"When we finish talking, you can go."

Troy sighed, leaning his back against the elevator wall. He wasn't winning this one. "What the fuck do you want?"

She smirked and bit her lip. "An apology Troy. You were pretty mean to me a few days ago."

"Yeah? You deserved it." Troys arms crossed his chest and he watched as her smirk faded. That only made his lips form into one.

"Deserve it? Like I deserved this?" Kristen pointed to her nose and Troy chuckled quietly.

"Yeah, that too."

Kristen frowned and shook her head. "I went through this pain for you, Troy. And yet you still pick her. She will never love you like I do."

Troys smirk turned into him gritting his teeth, and he stood up straight. "Save the sobs for your mother." Troy stopped for a moment and tilted his head. "Oh wait, she's dead right? I forgot." Kristen gasped and Troy shook his head. "Wait! I take that back. She really isn't dead. You just like to make that up to ruin peoples lives." Troy started walking closer to her and she scoffed.

"Now move out of the way before I move you myself. I don't feel anything for you. I never will. So get that through your thick, fake blonde, head." Kristen just stood there shocked, not sure if she should move or not. She quickly leaned toward his lips but Troy pushed her over to the side of the elevator, sending her straight to the floor. "What the fuck? I just told you I don't fucking love you! Crazy bitch." Troy mumbled pressing hard against the button. He was thankful when the doors opened a few seconds later, and he quickly jogged out.

"You will pay, Bolton. And so will that little skank of yours." She whispered as the doors closed in front of her, leaving her staring at her reflection. She wiped the drop of blood off her hand before grinning widely and laughing quietly to herself.


	6. Stupid

"Taylor?" Troy said in a quiet voice and the girl that had her back faced toward him turned around.

"Uh, yes Troy?" Taylor stared at the boy, confused.

"Gabriella asked me to get you. She's a little upset."

"What's wrong with her?" Taylor quickly asked, feeling her heart racing. Troy smiled to try and calm her down.

"She's in the small gym. She wanted-"

"Say no more, Bolton." Taylor started for the exit, pulling Sharpay with her who was standing alone. Troy sighed as he watched them leave and contemplated whether he should join or not.

"Troy?"

Troy turned around to find his best friend looking concerned. "Hey, man."

"Don't you have some practice shit?" Chad asked, watching Troy carefully. Troy walked in the opposite direction of the exit and sat down on the mat.

"It was sort of..canceled?" Troy said, wondering how to tell him. He wasn't sure if it was his place to tell about Gabriellas condition.

"Sort of? Alright." Chad sat down next to him and stretched out his arms. "Are you okay, bro? You look upset."

"Not upset, just annoyed." Troy said honestly. Kristen had that affect on him.

"Well you gonna leave me hanging? Why you upset?"

As if on cue, Kristen walked in the gym with two girls following. Troy laughed at the irony and looked back at Chad. Chad raised his eyebrow and looked where Troy glanced a few seconds ago.

"Kristen? What happened now?"

"She just won't give up. She's like fucking obsessed man." Troy started standing up and Chad did the same as he laughed. Troy couldn't help but laugh as well and he turned around, only to bump into something large. Troy pushed himself away and looked up at the man in front of him. He was huge. And fucking scary looking.

"Can I help you?" Troy asked and he heard Chad gulp behind him.

"Are you Troy Bolton?" The man answered in a deep voice. Troy looked back at Chad and Chad shook his head, indicating him not to reply. Troy rolled his eyes and turned back to the man.

"Yeah, that would be me." Troy told him, in his least cocky voice. He wasn't scared for himself, probably just for Chad. He looked like he was about to shit himself.

"Okay." The man turned around and started to walk. Troy stood there confused and turned his whole body to face Chad.

"What the fuck was that Troy?" Chad asked.

"You tell me." Troy replied and Chads eyes suddenly widened. Troy mouthed to him, still confused and felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around, only to be punched full force, in the jaw. Troy grunted, holding tightly onto his jaw and stumbled backwards by Chad.

"If you ever try to touch my sister again, I will make it ten times worse." The man walked away, leaving Troy still gripping his jaw.

"What the fuck is he talking about?" Chad whispered in a harsh tone. Troy looked at him with the same amount of confusion.

"Lets go see." Troy started for the man, ignoring Chads calls. He wasn't just going to do nothing when someone punched him. Even if the man could kill Troy with one blow to the head. Troy groaned at the pain in his mouth, and spit some blood to the side as he kept walking.

"Don't you fucking dare Troy!" Chad ran after him, but Troy pushed him to the side, determined to reach the man. Troy heard small giggles coming from the side and he looked over to see Kristen laughing her ass off. Troy growled to himself and kept walking. Of course. She was always looking for trouble.

"Stop Troy! You're gonna get yourself fucking killed!"

"Move out of my way Chad." Troy demanded through his teeth but Chad shook his head and placed his feet in front of him.

"You're being a stupid fuck, Troy. Get back over there."

"What are you, my dad?" Troy pushed him to the side with all his strength and he heard a loud groan come out of his own mouth.

"What the fuck is your problem?" Troy asked in a loud voice as he approached the large guy. He turned around to face Troy and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Go away kid, I wouldn't want you to break a nail." The man pushed Troy aside as if he was a little kid, and turned back to talk to his friend.

"What the fuck?" Troy muttered to himself and looked around the gym. Everyone was staring at them. This was sure to be entertaining.

"Yeah? Well fuck you tiny." Troy choked out, realizing that was a mistake. He noticed Chad far away, so there was no way he had anyone there to help him now.

"What did you just say to me?" He asked as he turned around, his face full of anger.

"I said fuck you tin-" A large hand came crashing down on his face and Troy grunted loudly. He shook it off and lunged at him, full force, hoping his smaller body could bring the larger one down.

"Troy!" Troy heard voices around him screaming his name, but he ignored it and continued to push at the man, who finally fell to the ground. Troy fell back first on the ground and the guy pinned him down roughly, pushing him hard on the shoulders.

"When you're out of the hospital, I'll be sure you get cuffed up for touching my little sister. And when you go to jail, I'll be here with that little whore of yours..Doing what your pussy ass never di-"

Troys blood boiled as he watched the words flow out of his mouth in a whisper. No one talked about Gabriella and got away with it. And what the hell did this guy mean, touched? But one thing was for sure, he wanted this guy off of him. Although, there wasn't much he could do pinned down. He did the first thing he could think of and spat at the man in his face.

"You little prick!" He shouted, punching Troy in the face, hard.

* * *

"Oh god, Gabi are you okay?" Taylor and Sharpay ran at their crying friend on the floor, holding herself in her arms.

"N-No." Gabriella stuttered, looking at both girls. They both pulled her into a long hug and gave each other a worried stare.

"What happened Gabs?" Sharpay asked, pulling Gabriellas hand in hers.

"A-Alex..it was too much..and then the General..." Gabriella cried in her arms, feeling helpless. "A-And T-Troy.."

"What did he do?" Taylor quickly got in. She never liked him that much.

"Nothing.."

"Then what's wrong?" Sharpay shot Taylor a look and looked back down to Gabriella.

"I-I can't just be friends with him...But wha-at if he hurts me again?"

Both friends looked at each other and let out a big sigh. They knew that was coming.

"You wont know unless you try." Gabriella looked up at both girls and wiped the tears off her dry face.

"What do I do?"

"Tell him." They both said at once and Gabriella let out a small smile. Maybe it was time.

* * *

When the elevator door opened, all three girls slowly made their way out, until they stopped frozen from the sight in front of them.

"What the hell?" Gabriella muttered, stepping at and watching the screams from down the hall.

"I'll fucking kill you!" One of the shouted, kicking the door shut. The other man seemed to be a security guard that held onto him tightly and pulled him away. Just then another man walked out of the gym, screaming at the one being held.

"Is that..?" Taylor interrupted and Gabriella gasped as the people came closer to them.

"Troy?" Gabriella asked, her mouth open from shock. As he came closer he smiled widely and nodded at her, blood dripping down his face and all over his clothes.

"Hey Brie." He said as he was pulled away from the guard to a certain room, leaving Gabriella speechless. She just stared in front of her where he originally was, not understanding what just happened.

"What happened to him?" Taylor asked Chad as he walked closer to them. Sharpay stood frozen next to Gabriella, waiting for Chad to explain.

"He was being a fucking idiot."

* * *

Troy walked out of the Generals office an hour later after being yelled at. Because of the mission tomorrow, she was punishing him after it was finished. He thought that was pretty stupid, but he wasn't complaining. And Kristens 'brother', yeah, he wasn't even in trouble.

"Fucking shit." Troy mumbled to himself and pressed the ice-pack harder against his eye. The guy got him pretty hard there, so Troy was surprised when he found out it was only a little bruised. It would probably get worse over time. Oh, and his lip was bruised and bleeding. But nothing he couldn't handle like a man.

"Troy!" Troy jerked his head to see a brunette running at him, looking extremely angry. "What the fuck were you thinking?"

When she got to him she punched him hard on the chest and he grunted loudly, using his free hand to rub it.

"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" He had to admit, her punches hurt like hell.

"You know what it was for idiot! Why did you fight him?"

"He started it." Troy whined, removing his hand.

"Troy, stop acting like you're five! You could of gotten killed!"

"Oh come on Brie! He's not the hulk. He wasn't going to kill me." Troy thought about his response for a minute. That guy could probably be the hulk if he actually tried. Which wouldn't take much effort.

"Shut up. I don't want any excuses. Now show me your eye."

"Okay, mom." Troy grinned and removed the ice pack, which left him regretting it. His eye started throbbing in pain and he grunted again.

"Oh god, Troy." She gently brushed her hand under his eye and quickly pulled it away when he winced. "Are you okay?"

Troy tried his best to smile and nodded. "You should see the other guy."

"You mean the guy without a scratch?" Gabriella finally giggled, but Troy stood there unamused as she gently touched his lip.

"Funny."


	7. Almost Time

Damn, I haven't updated this story in a long ass time. Sorry, I've really just been busy with school. It's getting to the big tests -_- Yeah, anyway, I'm really sorry. And this chapter is really short. I think I may of rushed it o.o But still, read, review. Please :) Oh, and I'm not sure I'm going to continue the Captured sequel. I think I should leave it to your imaginations? I don't know, but whatever, Enjoy :)

* * *

"Will you sit still?" She demanded, letting out a sigh.

"God dammit." He hissed when pressure was put on his swollen lip. Gabriella rolled her eyes and used her other hand to push his hair away from his wounded eye.

"Quit being a baby, Troy."

"Quit being a baby, Troy." He mimicked and she pressed on his lip harder. "Ow, okay!"

"Why are you such an idiot?"

"You've been asking me that for the past 10 minutes."

"Yeah? So why haven't you answered?" Gabriella pulled both ice-packs away and set them neatly on the floor. Her stomach turned when she noticed how beaten his face actually was.

"Because there's no point. It's over with."

"It's never over with you." She mumbled, looking straight at him. She fully sat down in front of him and he tried smiling. "Chad told me what he said you know. So who's the sister?" Gabriella asked, trying to hide the fact that she was slightly heartbroken. He claimed his love for her, yet here he was messing with some girl with an overprotective brother. She wasn't about to freak out though, they were just friends. Or at least that's what she used to want.

"There's no sister. It was just Kristen."

"Kristen?"

"Yup. Who knew she had a brother?" Troy joked, grinning. He quickly winced in pain and grabbed the ice-pack.

"Why would she make her brother hurt you?"

Troy looked down from her stare and pressed the ice-pack against his skin. "Because she's fucking insane."

Gabriella giggled, lifting his chin up. "That she is." Troy laughed, ignoring the pain that shot through his face. "You really do look like shit, Troy."

Troy rolled his eye that didn't have the ice-pack covering it. "You just love complimenting me, huh?"

* * *

"I'm gonna fucking kill her if she keeps waking me up." Gabriella mumbled, making her way to her front door. She placed her hand on the knob, and used her other hand to rub her sleepy eyes. "Taylor I swear to god-" Gabriella opened the door fully and her eyes widened in shock. There standing in front of her, was the man she could not stop thinking about.

"A-Alex?"

"Hey, Gabs." Alex smiled, walking past Gabriella to her living room. Gabriellas sweaty palm pushed the door closed and she turned to face him, her mouth opened wide. Her body was shaking, her mind was racing. She couldn't bring herself to say a word.

"You just going to stand there, or you going to hug me?"

Before she could comprehend her next actions, she was embraced in a tight hug, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I've missed you so much, Gabriella."

"Oh god, I've missed you so much more, Alex." She whispered gently against his ear, a wide smile forming on her face. Tears trailed down her cheeks, making it hard for her to keep her smile.

"I love you Brie." Gabriellas smile faded, her tears suddenly stopped. She pulled back, staring into Alex's eyes. What were originally a sea-green shade lightened into blue, and Gabriella stepped back.

"Troy?" Gabriella muttered. The man in front of her smiled and held his hand out.

"I love you."

"N-No." The three words echoed in the room constantly, and Gabriellas hands flew to cover her ears. She shook her head and pushed harder against her ears.

"I love y-" Blood escaped Troys open mouth, and his face was now covered with scars and bruises. "Brie.." He fell forward, landing straight in front of Gabriella. She gasped as she noticed the blood seeping through his shirt. She screamed loudly and shut her eyes, walking away from his limp body.

"Gabriella!"

"Go away!" She shouted, her hands still covering her ears. Why wouldn't the voices go away?

"Brie!"

Gabriellas eyes shot open and she breathed heavily, clutching onto her stomach. Taking in her surroundings, she sighed deeply when she noticed she was in the comfort of her own bed. Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. "Dammit."

* * *

"I-I'm so sorry I'm late!" Gabriella rushed into the Generals office, gripping her bag tightly against her. When she was fully inside, she looked around the room in confusion and then back to Caruso. "Where's Troy?"

"So happy you could make it, dear." She answered back coldly, looking up from her work placed on her desk. Gabriella slouched back, her head aimed toward the ground.

"I'm sorry, General. I overslept again and-"

"Troys in the dressing room. Go find him and get your outfit ready for the mission."

Gabriella sighed, looking back up. She nodded slowly and walked out of the room into the hallway. She kept her head down, her eyes still tired.

"Hey, watch it!" Gabriella quickly looked up, stumbling backwards from the heavy impact she encountered. She huffed, rolling her eyes.

"Shut it, Kristen." Gabriella brushed hard against her shoulder, sending Kristens body to the nearest wall. Grinning to herself, Gabriella ignored Kristens whines and stepped inside the dressing room.

"Troy?" Gabriella called as she stepped inside the overly large space. Coming out from the corner, Troy smiled as he held some fabric in his hands.

"Hey."

"Whatcha got there?" Gabriella walked closer, reaching out to grab the clothes. Troy grinned, pulling it back.

"Mission outfits."

"No, duh. Hand them over bud." Gabriella lunged at him again, but Troy ducked and ran to the other side of the room.

"Too slow."

"Troy! Give them to me, we have to get ready!"

"Not my fault you are slow as hell." He laughed as he watched her rest her hands on her knees, panting heavily.

"You're such an ass." Gabriella mumbled through her breaths and looked up at him. He had a huge grin on his face that sort of hid his cut lip.

"A fast-ass."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and straightened out her body so her breathing pattern was normal. "And a cocky one?"

Troy laughed and set the outfit down on the chair. "Try not to take forever getting in them." After Gabriella sent him a death glare, Troy grabbed his clothes and walked in the small bathroom connected to the room. She giggled and picked up the outfit, unzipping the clothing protector. A small gasp escaped her mouth as she stared down at the red silk in her hands. "Wow." She whispered to herself and set the beautiful dress back down on the chair.

* * *

"Troy!" Gabriella yelled, frustrated. She blew her hair out of her face and huffed loudly as her arms lazily fell to her sides.

"What? What happened?" He rushed in, tripping on his pants that were not completely on yet.

"Can you zip-Oh god, Troy. Pull them up!" Gabriella shut her eyes closed, throwing her hands over them just in case her mind forced her to sneak a peak.

"What? They're just boxer-"

"Can you just pull them up please!" Gabriella shouted, shaking her head. The whole situation was making her already get bad ideas.

"Alright, alright, calm down." Troy muttered, laughing quietly to himself. "You can look now."

Gabriella sighed in relief and removed her hands, soon opening her eyes as well. She gasped and turned her body away from Troy. "Troy, you dick!" She yelped, shutting her eyes tightly again. She grunted loudly when she heard Troy breaking out in hysterics. After a few minutes she felt a warm hand tracing lines on her exposed back and she froze.

"I'm sorry, I was just kidding. I pulled them up."

"J-Just shut up and zip me." She whispered, trying to push away the feeling of how his hands felt on her.

Troy chuckled and softly slid his finger down her back to her zipper. "You can breathe, you know. My pants are up."

Gabriellas eyes jerked open when his hot breath gently grazed her skin. She hoped he couldn't feel her slightly shaking under his touch. Her actions seemed to go noticed by Troy and he quickly pulled the zipper up, trying not to let his hand meet her skin.

"All set." Gabriella sighed deeply before turning around to face Troy.

"Thank you."Gabriella whispered, staring up at his eyes. His bruised eye was slightly open and it looked a lot better than yesterday. But she still cringed when she saw his beaten face.

"Yeah." He answered back, smiling. She giggled nervously and nodded, making her way over to the chair to sit down.

"Troy?"

"Hm?" Troy looked over, one eyebrow raised.

"Your zippers open."

* * *

"Maybe we should play patty-cake?"

"Patty-cake? Yeah, no. I'd rather you tell me more about the mission."

"Oh my god! I knew I forgot to do something!" Gabriella gasped, throwing her hand over her head. She forgot to tell Troy the most important thing for the mission; What the mission was about.

Troy chuckled and leaned against the door-frame in the dressing room, both hands crossing his chest. He had a sly grin on his face, almost as if he liked watching Gabriella squirm.

"Can you sit down next to me? You're distracting."

"What? I'm just standing." Troys grin remained on his face as Gabriella scoffed at him. She crooked a finger and Troy shook his head.

"Sit down! It's easier when I don't have to look at your stupid faces."

"Wow, that hurt." Troy joked, pretending to wipe away invisible tears. Gabriella huffed, looking down away from his direction. He rolled his eyes at her sense of humor and started walking toward her. "I'm here, chill." He sat down next to her leaning his head against the wall. "Begin."

Gabriella nodded, looking up at the ceiling. "Ever heard of Francisco Hernandez?"

Troys head slowly jerked to the side, but it was only met with Gabriellas profile. Why did she have a hard time looking at him? "Eh, rings a bell."

"It should. He's a very famous thief-"

"If he's so famous, why isn't he in jail?"

"I'm getting there!" Gabriella sighed and continued. "We don't have much proof to actually get him arrested. That's why we're stealing back the diamond, so we can get his ass locked away."

"Seems easy."

Gabriella giggled without any emotion and finally looked into Troys orbs. "It's going to be the hardest thing we've ever done. I've been preparing for this mission for months. And you've had about four days."

"Does that make you nervous?" Troy asked, scratching his neck. Maybe he wasn't as ready as he thought.

Gabriella shook her head and looked away from Troy once again. "The General knew what she was doing when she picked you. You're good Troy, I have no doubts about tonight."

Gabriella saw Troy nodding from the corner of her eye and she rose one eyebrow. "Do you?"

"If I say yes, will you change your mind?"

Gabriella chuckled and shook her head. "You'll do fine Troy. I heard parties were your forte."

"So is fucking up."


	8. Mission Trouble

Alright, so I've decided to continue the sequel to Captured, but after I finish this story. It's way to much for me to handle two stories. Lol, I know, but it's already hard enough for this story. Even though it shouldn't be...hmm...Okay! Well, here you guys go with this chapter. I wanted to get this one out quicker, cause well, I just love this story. And I personally hate waiting for updates, but doesn't everybody? I already have the next chapter written, which is indeed my favorite. So just read, review, blah, and I'll have the next chapter out soon. Thank you, love you guys :)

* * *

"We have about ten minutes, are you ready?" Troy took a deep breath, letting his body calm down, and allowed his shaking hands to come to a halt.

"Can you be a human for a minute and be nervous?"

"Troy! How many times are we going to go over this? You'll do fine!"

"Than why the fuck am I sweating in all the wrong pl-"

Gabriella clamped her hand over his mouth and shook her head vigorously. "Please keep that comment to yourself." When Troy nodded Gabriella pulled her hand away and wiped it on the silky dress. "And don't lick me, ass."

Troy chuckled nervously and glanced at the mirror. "Wow."

"What?" Gabriella asked, looking over his shoulder at the mirror. She rested chin on his shoulder and poked at his side when he didn't respond.

"I do look like shit."

Gabriella giggled and pushed herself off of him. She lightly punched his arm and nodded. "Told ya." Troy sighed, fixing the tie that connected with his suit. Although his face was completely screwed, Gabriella honestly thought he looked amazing. She just wasn't going to tell him that.

"What the hell do I say if someone asks about my face?"

Gabriella extended her finger to her chin and her eyes moved to the side. "Hmmm, how about, I'm an idiot?"

"Seriously, Brie."

"Oh come on, before you were practically killing me in your mind cause I wasn't being humorous. Who's not humorous now, bud?"

"I wasn't _killing_ you."

Gabriella laughed. "I thought you were supposed to be a bad-ass? You're acting like a little pussy, Troy. Show me the manly side." Gabriella joked, winking at Troy. He rolled his eyes and stared back at his reflection.

"Ugh, sit down." Gabriella walked up behind Troy and yanked him by the collar, pulling him to an open seat.

"What are you doing?" Troy looked up at Gabriella hovering over him and Gabriella put a finger to her mouth.

"Fixing you up before we leave." Gabriella reached down behind Troy and pulled out a small tube. Troy watched her closely as she pulled the cap off and let the creamy, tan substance flow on her fingers. She rose her fingers to his face and gently pressed them against his skin.

"Make up?" Troy asked, feeling the warmth from her fingers on his skin. For a moment, he didn't feel any of the pain on his eye when she touched it.

"The best way to cover shit up." Gabriella giggled and pulled her hand away a few minutes later. "Stay right there, I just want to get some lipstick." Gabriella turned her body around and headed for the bathroom, until a hand gripped onto her arm.

"I was just kidding Tro-"

Gabriella froze dead on her spot as Troys hand lightly caressed her exposed arm. "What are you doing, Troy?" Gabriella choked out, her words coming out shaky. Troy continued to stare into her dilated eyes, and slowly opened his mouth to speak. "Not being a pussy."

He stood up, kicking the chair behind him and walked closer to her, their bodies inches apart. Both hands cupped her cheeks and his face soon came down to close the gap between them. Gabriella gasped as she felt the warmth of his lips touch hers, and her body jolted in shock. He pulled away before she got the chance to make any movement and she stared up at him, speechless.

"I can't be your friend anymore, You know I truly tried, but some things don't work out the way you want them too." He softly pressed his thumb against her lips and soon replaced it with his mouth again, leaving Gabriella once again, frozen. This is what she wanted. This was what she had such a hard time telling him. And she wasn't going to act like a doll. Her hands instinctively wrapped around his neck and his hands trailed down her body to grasp onto her hips. When their bodies couldn't close in anymore, Gabriella ran a hand through his hair and pulled his face closer to her. His tongue traced her lips, begging for entrance, and Gabriella accepted with a soft moan, creating a smile on Troys face. As his tongue entered, Gabriella heard a loud knock, breaking the pair apart.

Gabriella stood breathless, quickly wiping her lips and she shook herself. She quickly glanced in the mirror and growled at her swollen lips. The knocking increased and Gabriella ran to the door, taking one deep breath. When she looked back, she noticed Troy gone, and the bathroom door shut.

"Yes?" Gabriella exclaimed as she opened the door, revealing the General. She looked at Gabriella suspiciously and motioned her head toward the hall.

"It's time."

Gabriella nodded and stepped back into the room. "We'll be down in a minute." Gabriella quickly closed the door on her, ignoring the rudeness it may have caused. Troy stepped out of the bathroom looking freshened up, and a large smirk took place on his face.

"Troy-"

"I know. We'll talk about it later. We have a mission to do."

Gabriella smiled and nodded again. "I see you're back to the normal Troy."

* * *

"Are you finally starting to get nervous?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes and gripped her gun tighter. Troys hand grasped her shaking thigh and she looked up at him. "I guess I stole your mojo." She giggled, placing her hand over his.

"You know, someone once told me worrying will give you wrinkles."

"Who the hell told you that?" Gabriella brought her hand up to her face and traced her forehead for any wrinkles. Troy chuckled and pulled her hand away into her lap.

"You have nothing to worry about. You're amazing at this."

Gabriella nodded in agreement and sighed deeply. He thought she was worried about the mission, when all she was worried about was after-wards. What if he thought the kiss was a mistake? She had so many questions running through her mind, and they all had to do with that kiss. Stupid him for doing it before such an important moment.

"Thanks. You are too." Troy winked before turning his head around to look out the car window.

"Looks like we're here." Gabriella told him, noticing his uncomfortable pose. Troy nodded and looked back at Gabriella as the car came to a sudden stop.

"Do we have everything?" Troy asked, looking Gabriella up and down. She giggled and lifted her dress to reveal a strap around her thigh. Troy gulped and leaned his head back so he couldn't watch her. Gabriella grinned and placed her gun in the strap before pulling down her red dress.

"You have the earpiece?" Gabriella asked Troy and he turned around, nodding. They both put a finger to their ear and turned the piece on.

"I guess it's time."

"Is it too late to turn back?" Troy stared out the window, fiddling with his shaking fingers. Gabriella sighed and extended her hand to his face, pushing his cheek toward her.

"Back to being worried?"

"Back to being fearless?" He asked, leaning into her palm. Gabriella smiled slightly and shook her head.

"Lets go mingle."

* * *

"You okay now?" Troy looked down at the girl in his arms and smirked widely, pulling her closer. They weren't exactly on friend terms, so he was going to do whatever it took to get closer to her.

"Yeah, you?"

Gabriella glanced at his hand wrapped around her waist and then back up to his face. "Perfect."

For a moment Gabriella could of swore she noticed his face getting closer to hers by the second, but when they were interrupted by a fellow colleague of Francisco, Troy suddenly loosened his grip on her.

"Ah, newcomers?" The man said, reaching his hand out to Troy. Troy looked the man up and down once before extending his hand and gladly shaking it.

"I'm Marcus."

"Hernando Enriquez." Troy slightly winced at the pressure Hernando was putting on his hand and Gabriella quickly placed her hand in front of her.

"I'm Anne." Hernando released Troys hand which was turning a bright red, and focused all of his attention on the lady smiling brightly. He gripped her hand and placed a small kiss on the back of her palm.

"What a pleasure it is to meet you, Anne." Gabriella faked another smile and pulled her hand away, nodding slowly.

"Excuse us while we go introduce ourselves with the others. I'm sure we'll see you later." She grabbed Troys hand, pulling him into the crowd and away from the smirking man.

"I don't like that douchebag."

"Oh come on. He's like a replica of you. A cocky flirt."

Troy stopped in his spot, sending Gabriella a few paces in front. She groaned and looked around at his shocked expression.

"Are you serious? I'm nothing like that guy."

"Whatever allows you to sleep better at night."

Troy scoffed at Gabriella and walked closer to her so he could silently whisper; "Why don't you go do what you have to do, and I'll go find Francisco."

Gabriella looked up at Troy and shook her head. "It was the other way around buddy."

"Gab-Anne," He hissed, keeping his voice down low. "You know I can't do this."

"I know you can. Don't back out now. Besides, I'm a better distraction."

"Yeah, especially with that dress."

Gabriellas eyes widened and she ignored the strange stares from the obnoxious acquaintances of Francisco. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, you're showing a bit more than you should."

Gabriella looked down at her knee-length dress and back up. "Are you serious? What do you want me to wear? A gown? This isn't a ball."

"I'm just saying, maybe you shouldn't show so much skin."

Gabriella raised her eyebrow and giggled quietly. "Does it make you mad when people stare at me?"

"What? No. That's stupid."

"Obviously it's not stupid if you're doing it." She teased, smiling cutely. Troy rolled his eyes and started walking.

"Have fun while I talk to Francisco."

Gabriella gasped, shaking her head. Maybe it was better if she did do it instead of him. She had more experience, and besides, it seemed to get Troy angry at the thought of her talking to Francisco. Which she thought was adorable.

Troy walked around the large mansion for about 10 minutes, avoiding actual contact with women and men who tried to figure out where he came from. Everyone seemed to know each other, which made it all the more worse. He introduced himself a few times, and even saw Hernando again, flirting with some chick. He wasn't anything like him. How could Gabriella think that?

"Oh I'm sorr-" Troy reached his hand out to stop the mans fall and grinned to himself. Bingo. "Francisco?"

Francisco pulled away his wine glass from his mouth and set it on a platter that a passing waiter was holding. "Do I know you?"

"No, I'm afraid not, I'm Marcus Torres." Troy extended his hand and shook Franciscos, who had a way stronger grasp than the other idiot.

"Yes, and why are you here? I'm sure I didn't invite you?" He pulled his hand away and pushed it aside in his pocket. Troy nodded and tried his best to keep on his smile.

"I'm a friend of Carmens. I have a few propositions for you, and she told me to come here as the best way to contact you. You're a very hard man to find. I'm lucky enough that I got in touch with her today."

"Carmen? My assistant?" Troy nodded and Francisco did the same. Truth was, Carmen was the person that popped into his mind. Gabriella told him some more information on the way here, and Carmen was Franciscos assistant that performed all the dirty work. Troy never actually talked to her, so he was hoping she wasn't around here.

"Ah, well why don't we step into my office for a little?"

"That would be wonderful." Troy smiled, following him through the people. When they arrived in the office, Francisco shut the door quietly and sat in the seat by his desk.

"Please, have a seat." He motioned his hand and Troy sat down in front of him, both hands on his lap. "Whiskey?" He asked, pouring a glass for himself. Troy shook his head and looked around the room suspiciously when Franciscos eyes weren't on him.

"Not that big of a fan."

"Oh, I took you for a whiskey kind of guy. Guess I was wrong." He chuckled raising the glass to his lips. When he put it down he leaned back against his chair and interlaced his fingers together. "So tell me, what business are we talking?"

"_Troy, I need about seven more minutes. Think you can handle it?"_

Troys eyes lit up at the sudden voice ringing through his ear and he quickly remembered the ear piece. He smiled in his mind, but didn't bother to show it on his face.

"Well, you-"

"What happened to your face, Marcus?"

Troy sat there confused at the interruption and tilted his head a bit. "Uh, I got into a fight."

"Over work? Because I can assure you, I don't want to get into business with anyone that is careless."

Troy gulped silently. "It was more over a personal issue than a work one."

"Hm, care to talk about it?"

"Actually, I would rather just talk about a job."

Francisco laughed quietly and looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry Marcus, but I wouldn't hire a liar."

The door opened and Troys head quickly jerked to the door where two men walked in. Troy looked back at Francisco who was now smirking. "A liar? I don't understand."

"Carmens been in the hospital for a few days, Marcus."

Dammit. Gabriella wouldn't be happy with this. "Yes, i'm aware. I visited her."

"Really? Would you mind telling me what hospital?" Troy sat there, dumbfounded. What did he get himself into? "Exactly. Guards." Troy felt two hands wrap around his shoulders and he was soon lifted off the chair onto the ground. "Who are you?" He hissed, coming in front of Troy. All the cards were already out on the table, there was no getting out of this one. So it was time to bring out his second plan. 'Hit and run when Gabriella's done.'

"The real question is, who are you?" Troy asked, raising both eyebrows. He chuckled silently and the guard removed his grip and grabbed his arm, as did the other one.

"Who do you work for?"

"A carnival. I'm the person that trains the elephants-"

A hard blow to the already bruised eye boiled Troys blood, and he turned his head back to Francisco.

"You think you're funny?"

"I think I'm fucking hilarious."

Francisco pulled out a gun from his pocket and pushed the cold metal against Troys cheek. "I think you're going to tell me who you work for before I shoot you in the head."

_Come on Gabriella. _"I told you who I work for."

Francisco clicked the gun and pushed it against his skin harder this time. "Cut the bullshit. Tell me your name."

"_I got the diamond. The guards are knocked out for now, so hurry up and meet me by the exit."_

"Bond. James Bond." Troy said slowly, exaggerating every word. He let out a small chuckle and groaned loudly when Francisco hit him hard with the gun. "You fucker, you're messing up my face."

"I'll give you one more chance. If you don't tell me by the count of three, I will put a bullet through your head." He growled, stepping closer. Troy rolled his eyes and started laughing. "What the hell is so funny?"

"My face may be bloody, but it still looks 100 times better than what yours will look like." Troy laughed again before quickly lifting his foot up and kicking him right in the chin, sending him backwards against his desk. Troy pulled out of the guards grasp and punched one in the face while he was punched hard in his back by the other one. As his hand came toward his head Troy ducked, allowing the guard to hit the other guard in the face. Troy made a run for the door, pulling it open and running quickly into the crowd. He ignored the loud gasps and screams as bullets were heard behind him.

"Troy?" Gabriella yelled as Troy came closer into her view. She met him halfway and he grasped her arm, pulling her toward the door.

"Just run!"

* * *

"What the hell happened back there?"

"Why does it matter? You got the diamond."

Gabriella gently touched Troys face and he winced in reply. "Yeah, and you seemed to get the shit kicked out of you, again."

Troy chuckled and pulled Gabriellas hand away from his face. He rested her hand on his leg with his hand covering hers. "Nothing makeup can't fix, right?"

Gabriella giggled and nodded, looking down at both their hands. "You got that right."

"You think the General will be mad?" Troy asked after a moment of silence. Gabriella looked up from their hands and her eyes widened.

"We can't tell her, Troy. She will never trust us for a mission again."

"Then how do we explain this?" He pointed to his face and left his finger there for exaggeration. Gabriella giggled and pulled his finger away. "You got into a fight with some guards, not Fancisco. Okay?"

"If you say so."

"Now are you finally ready to get out of this car? I think we've been in here for an hour."

Troy looked out the window once, keeping his eyes focused on the warehouse. He took a deep breath, turned his attention back to Gabriella, and nodded. "Lets get this over with."

* * *

"So it wasn't that much trouble, I assume?" The General asked, examining the diamond in her hand.

Gabriella nodded her head and smiled toward the General. She glanced to the side to see Troy fiddling with his fingers, and his eyes to the ground. Gabriella gritted her teeth and nudged Troy hard in the ribs. He quickly looked at Gabriella and finally came to realization when he saw her emotionless expression.

"No trouble at all."

"Yes, I can tell by your face."

Troys mouth made an 'o' shape and Gabriella quickly opened her mouth to speak. "We had a few problems with the guards, but nothing we couldn't handle in the end."

"Good job guys, you really proved yourselves today. Dismissed."

Gabriella and Troy both nodded in unison and made their way out the room, to the elevator.

"Now what?"

Gabriella stared at the doors while they shut slowly and shrugged her shoulders. "Now, we go back to before, training everyday until something comes up."

"Will everything go back to before?" Troy asked, looking at Gabriella. When she looked up to him and saw him staring at her contently, she knew it was time. There was no going back now.


	9. Unexpected

Okay, so I know the mission seemed rushed..and REALLY easy, but it's not so much the mission that's the important part. It's kind of the person behind it, Francisco, who's going to give them a lot of trouble. So that's pretty much what the story is going to be about from now on, the aftermath of the mission.

* * *

"I mean, with us, Gabriella." Gabriella's palms started sweating, her vision blurring. She'd never been this nervous in her entire life, not even before a mission.

"W-What do you want to happen?" She stuttered, keeping her eyes on the elevator doors. His hand unintentionally went to her cheek and forced her head to move in his direction. She gulped loudly and looked him dead in the eye.

"I want to be with you, Gabriella. I want you to know I wont do anything to hurt you."

"Troy-"

"Just tell me if you want to be with me. Either way, I'm not giving up on you. I've waited three years to actually have a conversation with you, to actually get anywhere near you without you glaring at me." He gently caressed her cheek with his thumb and chuckled slightly. "I can wait however long you want me too."

Gabriella gasped at his touch, and she closed her eyes tightly to try and stop the tears threatening to come out. "You don't need to wait, Troy." She opened both eyes and his face was already inches away. Before she could comprehend his actions, his lips crashed against hers, sending her back against the elevator wall. It wasn't gentle or passionate, but she didn't mind, she understood he had this stored up for years. His tongue grazed her lips, and she opened her mouth to allow him access. A soft moan escaped her lips as his tongue brutally attacked hers, and he lifted both of her legs off the ground so she could wrap them around his waist.

"Troy..." She moaned in his mouth, sending vibrations through his body. He pulled away a moment later and slowly brushed away a strand of her hair from her face.

"Come to my house later...You still know where it is, right?"

She looked over at the elevator doors that were now open and back to Troy. She nodded slowly and he pressed a small kiss onto her lips.

"See you soon." He lightly dropped her to her feet and winked before leaving her alone in the elevator. She leaned her head against the wall and sighed loudly.

"Wow."

* * *

Gabriella tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the door to open. "Get a hold of yourself Gabriella, this is Troy, not some stranger." She mumbled to herself, her back facing the door.

"Yeah, it's just Troy." She heard a deep voice say, and her head whipped around to meet two blue eyes staring at her, and a smirk planted on his face. When did the door open?

"Hi." She exclaimed, trying to smile to hide her embarrassment. He chuckled softly and motioned toward his apartment.

"Come on in."

She nodded and walked past him, looking around his place. Boy did it change since she last saw it.

"Looks a little different, huh?" He said as he closed the door and walked next to her. She smiled up at him. "I don't remember, I was only here once."

"Ah, the party."

Gabriella giggled and later nodded. "What a great party it was."

Troy grinned and put his hand around hers, interlacing their fingers. He pulled her toward the couch and they sat down next to each other.

"Well I did get you to kiss me." He teased, pulling her closer to him. His hand left hers and his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

"That you did."

"Think I can do it again?" He asked huskily, his face coming closer to hers. Once again she immediately became nervous, and her body froze.

"Y-You can try.."

At that instant Troys lips met Gabriellas in a fiery kiss, and he cupped her cheek in his large hand. His tongue glided over hers lips, exploring her plump lightened lips. She smiled in the kiss, pondering the thoughts of being with him. She couldn't imagine herself in this position 3 days ago, in Troy Boltons apartment once again.

Gabriella slightly opened her mouth to allow him entrance and his tongue plunged into her mouth. A small moan left her mouth as his hand slid from her cheek to her arm, lightly tracing her skin. His tongue battled with hers, and at that moment, Gabriella swore she was brought back three years into the past.

"Stop.." Gabriella whispered, pulling away from Troys lips. He sat there, more confused than ever.

"What's wrong?" If she was having second thoughts, he would definitely kill himself right then and there.

"The bedroom." She nodded her head toward his bedroom and picked herself up from the couch. A small grin formed on her mouth and she extended her hand out to his. Anxiously he placed his hand in hers and she led him to his room, her hips swaying seductively.

"Fuck Gabriella." He moaned huskily at the sight in front of him. She was definitely teasing.

When they entered the bedroom she quickly turned around to face him and leaned over his body to shut the door. She pulled back, the same grin still planted on her face.

Without a second to spare, Troy crashed his lips to her curved ones, sending her body slightly backwards at the impact. It was his turn to grin as she entered her tongue into his mouth first, taking the initiative.

As her fingers nestled into his hair, gripping onto his locks, his hands roamed her body, touching every inch of exposed skin. She gasped at the sudden contact when his fingers grazed her nipples through her tank top, and his tongue fought viciously with hers. His hand changed direction, aiming toward the hem of her shirt and slowly lifting it up, making sure to touch her flattened stomach.

Not being able to wait any longer, Gabriella forcefully pushed him away and lifted her shirt off, revealing her black laced bra. His mouth gaped open at the sight, and she giggled amusingly. He quickly pulled his t-shirt off and it was Gabriellas turn to stare.

"Like what you see, Montez?" He winked, sending shivers down her body. Whether it was from the cool breeze now, or his beauty, she had a strong feeling of the right answer.

"Shut up." Gabriella pressed her lips against his, plummeting him backwards onto the bed. She crawled over him, kissing every inch of his sculpted body and leading her way down to his pants. She nibbled playfully at the skin just above his hardened area and lifted her fingers to the waistband of his jeans, soon allowing herself to undo his zipper. With his help, she removed his jeans and tossed them to the side, not caring where they landed.

She mimicked his wink before pulling his boxers down slowly and letting his member react to the sudden exposure. Placing small opened mouthed kisses on it, Gabriella trailed her fingers on his thigh, and soon gripped his penis gently into her small hand. Troy groaned, pressing his head harder against the bed as Gabriella worked her magic, making him feel something many girls failed to do. Gabriella on the other hand was completely satisfied with Troys reactions, and stroked his member slowly before engulfing it into her mouth. Troy couldn't take it any longer, the pleasure was shooting through his body, but he sure wasn't going to allow this to be over that quickly. With one swift movement, Troy used all he had to grasp Gabriellas shoulders and lift her up. She stared at him confused for a moment until Troy sat up and pulled her over so she was positioned on her back, and her head was leaning on the pillow.

Troy took a breath, trying to regain himself and climbed over her body, planting a small kiss on her lips. He made his way down her neck, flicking his tongue at her skin and sucking softly. He left a trail of kisses down her neck to reach her covered breasts and brought his hand around her body to her back, unclasping her bra and using one finger to slowly push her strap off her shoulder. He left a small kiss just above her shoulder blade and pulled both the straps off, flinging the bra to the side by his clothes. As Gabriella was too lost in her thoughts at the undeniable pleasure, Troy was kissing his way to her breasts, taking one hardened nipple in his mouth. Gabriella moaned loudly and shut her eyes closed, earning a chuckle from Troy as his eyes were focused on her reaction. His hands gripped her waist, and Gabriella could feel his exposed member through the shielding of her jeans.

When Troy finished teasing Gabriellas mounds, sucking them lightly, he nibbled at her skin, making his way down to her naval. Troy brought one hand to her jeans, unbuttoning them as she did before to him, and pulled them down quickly, not wasting a second.

"Troy.." She moaned as his lips grazed over her black panties and one finger hooked them.

"What do you want Gabriella?" He whispered huskily against her thighs as he kissed them.

"I need you inside me..now.." Her breath was uneven, her voice shaky. Troy smirked. He couldn't deny her now, could he?

Troy pulled her panties down, leaving them both completely naked in each others views. His fingers slowly made their way from her thighs and plunged slowly into her wet folds, causing Gabriella to moan loudly. She gripped the sheets below her as he pumped his fingers in and out of her and threw her head back against the pillow.

"Now..Troy..." She moaned, trying to open her eyes.

Troy nodded as if she could see and leaned over to his nightstand, pulling the draw open and grabbing a foil. He quickly tore the package open and placed it around his erected member before positioning himself over Gabriellas heavily breathing body. He braced his arms over her shoulders as she placed her legs around his back, allowing him easier access. He paused for a moment, staring at Gabriella intently. She nodded her head slowly and shut her eyes once again as Troy plunged into her with one long stroke. Gabriellas nails dug into his back, and she cried out in pleasure as Troy pulled back out and probed himself in her once again. Troy latched his lips onto her neck, sucking gently as he continued to a faster pace.

"Shit..Gabriella.." He groaned, earning a louder moan from Gabriella. Her back arched and her hips rose every time Troy went deeper and faster.

"Oh god..." She moaned loudly, breathless. He moved his lips away from her neck and attached them to her lips, not waiting to push his tongue further into her mouth. As he felt her walls tighten around him he pulled away from the kiss, moving his lips from hers to her bouncing breasts and covered one with his mouth. He thrust into her once more before they both were sent over the edge and climaxed together.

He rested his head in the crook of her neck, his arms still just above her shoulders. With a few breaths to gain back control, Troy fell to the side of her, slightly panting. Gabriella stared at the ceiling, breathing more heavily than him.

"That was..uhm..wow.." Troy said, looking to the side of him. Gabriella did the same and sighed loudly.

"I know."

* * *

"Can I be completely honest with you?" Gabriella asked, looking nervously at Troy.

He nodded, looking at her with pursed lips. "What's up?"

Gabriella shifted under the covers so her whole body was turned toward Troy. "I wasn't going to come."

He squinted his eyes for a moment before opening his mouth. "So...you faked it? I see."

Gabriella gasped and slapped him hard on the chest, earning a grunt from him. "Shut up. You know what I meant."

He chuckled after calmly rubbing his chest and stared at the beauty lying in front of him. "Well what made you change your mind?"

"I don't really know...I was pretty sure I knew what your intentions were...I guess...I just remembered how great the past was..before..yeah.."

"You don't really think I asked you to come here for sex, do you?" Troy quickly sat up, startling Gabriella. She sat up on the bed as well and slowly shrugged her shoulders.

"Well..isn't that what we did..?" She questioned, scratching the back of her neck. His eyes immediately widened.

"Jesus..." He muttered. "That's exactly what this looks like..doesn't it?"

"Troy.." She breathed, pulling his hand into hers. "It's okay..It takes two people for..this..and I'm not really complaining."

He looked down at there hands, a large frown forming on his face. "Brie..I know it doesn't really seem believable..But I didn't invite you here for sex. When I saw you..just..."

She quickly silenced him by putting a finger against his lips and giggled softly. "Troy, don't worry about it. I don't regret it, and I'm not mad at you for asking me here for sex."

"Gabriella-"

"Will you just shush?" She laughed, shaking her head in amusement. He was too adorable when he was nervous. "I was kidding."

He smiled crookedly and nodded his head. "You do know you mean more to me than just a good fuck..." He traced her palm with his thumb, feeling the warmth on his finger. "Right?"

"Mhm." She smiled, leaning closer to his face so he could feel her breath tickle his skin. She pressed her lips against his cheek and giggled against it. "And you're a good fuck too."

* * *

"So..what exactly are we, Troy?" Gabriella looked up into his eyes, watching his reaction quickly change. Gabriellas head was resting in Troys lap, her body stretched out across the couch. Troys fingers suddenly stopped stroking Gabriellas brown locks and froze in her hair. "Troy?"

"You already know what I want...What I've wanted for three years. It's up to you." She smiled genuinely and reached up to his face, gently cupping his face in her hand.

"I want that too." He nodded his head slowly before pressing his warm lips against her forehead, letting it linger there for a moment.

"Is it too soon to say I love you?" He whispered, pulling his mouth away from her skin. She smiled again, feeling her cheeks getting hot.

"Is it too soon to say it back?"

"Not at all." He leaned down to capture her lips with his and pulled her as close to him as humanly possible. This time, he wasn't letting her go. No matter what.

* * *

"Did I ever tell you how hot you look in my shirt?"

Gabriella looked over her shoulder at Troy and shook her head, blushing immensely. Troy chuckled and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his head on her shoulder. "Well, you do. Very hot."

"Better than you look in it?" She asked, playing with his locked hands around her and staring back down at the magazine in front of her.

"How'd you know?" He joked, chuckling a bit. After a moment of silence and Gabriella not responding, Troy slowly added in. "But you know what would look ever better?"

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully, knowing exactly what he was going to say next. She decided to play dumb and spoke in a low, seductive voice. "What?"

He used one hand to gently push aside the shirt from the shoulder he was resting on and pressed open mouthed kisses there. "You." Kiss. "Out." Kiss. "Of." Kiss. "It." Gabriella moaned softly, picturing what happened only a few hours ago in her mind.

"Mmm.." She spun the stool around, meeting Troys eyes with her own. She leaned back on the kitchen counter, both elbows resting there, and opened her legs slowly, barely covered by Troys t-shirt. A throaty groan escaped Troys mouth as he walked closer to her, and he placed one hand on her thigh, tracing it further up.

"Well, shall we see how long it takes then?"

* * *

After hours of doing something Gabriella only imagined in her mind, they both finally decided to call it quits and get some rest. It was nearly midnight when they finished their 5th round, too exhausted to even kiss each other. Gabriella never expected herself in this position; spending the night at Troys, having sex with him until their bodies ached in pain, claiming their love for each other.. it just all seemed..unreal. So when she woke up the next morning, Gabriella had to pinch herself multiple times to make sure it wasn't a dream.

Gabriella finished putting on her clothes from the previous night, ignoring the the dirty feeling it gave off. She waited patiently on the bed for Troy to finish his shower, seeing as Gabriella had no idea what to do. Grabbing her phone from the nightstand, she sat back in the same posture at before and turned it on. A small gasp left Gabriellas mouth and she squinted her eyes to make sure she wasn't seeing things. 10 missed calls, 15 text messages.

_From Sharpay:_

_Where the hell are u? Why aren't u picking up ur phone?_

_From Sharpay:_

_K, srsly, answr ur phone bitch. Im getting worried._

_From Sharpay:_

_God damn! Are u ok? Im gnna call the police!_

_From Taylor:_

_Sharpays freaking out Gabs...where are u? We called ur house & ur cell! _

_From Taylor:_

_Ok, we're coming over now. _

_From Sharpay:_

_U arnt home! Im callin the police now!_

_From Taylor:_

_Ignore her...we rnt callin the police. But ur getting us rlly worried. PLEASE call back asap!_

Gabriella sighed and threw her phone to the side of her. She didn't even want to see the rest of the texts.

"You alright babe?" Gabriella heard a deep muffled voice from behind her and quickly jerked her head to the side to see Troy, in a towel, drying his hair with a towel. Gabriella gulped loudly and nodded her head.

"I forgot to call Tay and Shar..They are kind of..." Gabriella was at a lost for words as she kept staring at Troy. A smirk took place on his face and he tilted his head a little to continue drying his hair.

"Freaking out?" He asked throwing the towel to the side. The other towel was wrapped firmly around his waist, just below his wet...shiny...muscular.. "Brie?"

"Hm, what?"

"After last night I have a hard time believing that I still make you nervous."

Gabriella blushed in embarrassment, completely forgetting that she was still staring. "I-I.."

"How about I go get changed in the bathroom and then we can leave?"

Gabriella gave up with talking and just nodded her head as he grabbed a pair of clothes from his dresser and walked back to the bathroom, leaving Gabriella alone once again, and very hot.

* * *

"You think they're gonna kill you?"

Gabriella stepped out of the elevator, Troy following next to her. She took a deep breath and shrugged her shoulders. "Possibly."

"Well don't worry, I'll protect you." He laughed, wrapping his arm around her from the side. She nuzzled into his chest, feeling content with her feelings for the first time. She was happy.

"Wow, my own knight in shining armor?" She joked, leaning up to peck his lips.

"Ms. Montez?" Gabriella quickly pulled away from Troy and they both turned around, Troy still holding onto her, his grip a little tighter now. One of the Generals guards came up to the pair, a smile on his face.

"Uhm, yes?" Gabriella asked.

"The General would like to see you in her office." He said as he started to turn around but suddenly stopped and looked back at her. "Alone."

* * *

Ah, okay so yeah, I know people probably think they shouldn't of had sex already..or even say I love you. But remember, they've felt this way for years, even if they weren't together. And besides, I had to make them say it..It makes me happy :D


	10. Traitor

Hola! Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter :) It definitely got the most :D So, yeah, I made a new story. Maybe you should...check it out? ;) Please! I don't want to continue if no one reads, lol. But enjoy this chapter! Next one will be out soooooonnnn

* * *

Gabriella swiftly knocked on the door before opening it widely, her mind whirling with worry and excitement. If it was already time for another mission, why couldn't Troy join her? And why did things instantly feel awkward for her when she stepped inside.

"Ah, Gabriella, have a seat please." The General commanded, setting her hands in front of her on the desk, interlaced. Gabriella nodded shyly and took a seat in her normal chair, focusing her attention on a smiling Caruso. "You look nervous dear, you really shouldn't be."

Gabriella nodded again, her mouth not allowing itself to open. "I asked you here to talk about the mission."

"Is something wrong?" She choked out, a hint of fright in her tone.

"Of course not, you and Troy did a very good job."

She wanted to ask why he wasn't there, then. But once again, her mouth would not open.

"Anyway, I just wanted to tell you something that was recently brought to my attention." She fiddled with her hands like Troy did when he was nervous, that wasn't a good sign. "The diamond you stole, it was indeed a fake one. We have no proof to arrest Francisco."

Gabriella gasped as her hands suddenly became shaky. No, she was positive it was real. She double checked, and even checked after that to make sure.

"I know you're thinking this is your fault, but it isn't, believe me. I was as shocked as you. It seems someone told Francisco about the operation. He swapped the real diamond hours before you arrived."

"U-Uh.." Gabriella stuttered, her heart pounding inside her chest. The whole thing seemed to easy for her in the first place, but she didn't want to question it. Good spies weren't supposed to question.

"We believe there's a traitor lurking around."

Gabriella let out another gasp and quickly shook her head. "General, I-"

"Oh, please, I don't think it's you. You have proven your loyalty plenty of times."

Gabriella nodded, her nerves calming a bit. "Do you know.."

"No. That's why I will need you to keep an eye out for any odd behavior from your colleagues."

"What about Francisco?..."

The General took a deep breath. "We will have to focus on him later, the important matter is finding the traitor. Whoever it may be.."

Gabriella noticed the uneasy tone at the last sentence and tilted her head a bit. "General..if you don't mind me asking..why isn't Troy here? He did a great deal for the mission.."

The General looked down, both eyes on her hands. She was playing with them again. Gabriellas mouth gaped open. No, she didn't. "You don't think he's the traitor, do you?" She quickly added, her sentence coming out as a mumble.

"It could be anyone Gabriella, just remember that while you're training. And also, do not speak a word of this to anyone. Dismissed." Gabriella stared a the General for a moment before stubbornly standing up and stomping out of the room. She slammed the door shut, not believing what she just heard. Troy, of all people? He would never betray anyone, he made that clear now.

Gabriella cursed to herself as she made her way to the giant gym, ready to figure out the real traitor and prove Troys innocence. It made sense that the General would accuse Troy because he was on the mission, but because it was 'him', Gabriella would not allow it. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open and stepping inside, many eyes on her. She did her best to ignore it and walked closer to Troy as he punched a punching bag Chad held firmly in front of him. Troy seemed to notice footsteps behind him and he turned around, his sweaty bangs stuck to his forehead. Gabriella smiled at the view and he responded with a bigger smile as she stopped walking so he could wrap his arms around her.

"Hey baby." He whispered against her neck, his lips placing a small kiss there. She giggled and pushed him away gently. Did he not notice everyone staring?

"You're so sweaty." She joked, smacking him lightly on the chest. He chuckled and shook his hair as beads of sweat fell down his forehead. Gabriella thought he couldn't look hotter but here he was, making that statement false.

"And you.." He walked closer to her, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. He heard a small chuckle from behind and he quickly turned around to send Chad a death glare before looking at Gabriellas blushing face. He rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around her waist again, placing his mouth right by her ear. "..are so sexy.." He nibbled softly at her ear, sending Gabriella on overdrive. She moaned loudly, her eyes widening after she heard herself. Without hesitation she pushed Troy away and shook her head quickly.

"Troy! Not here!" She gasped, her hand clamped over her mouth. Troy chuckled and his eyes seemed to look away from Gabriella.

"Looks like you got some company." He said, his glance back on Gabriella. A small smirk formed on his face and he turned back around to Chad, leaving Gabriella confused. She heard a loud scream which sounded a lot like a dying animal.

"Gabriella! You've got some explaining to do!" Gabriellas head quickly jerked around, seeing both Sharpay and Taylor walking in her direction, not looking very happy. Gabriella looked back behind at Troy and Chad who seemed to go in hysterics. Oh, he would pay for that later.

"Guys...Just hear me out.." She sighed as she turned back around to the angry girls.

As both girls stood in front of Gabriella, an angry expression on their faces, Taylors face suddenly lit up. "You!" She pointed behind Gabriella, and soon the fits of laughter ceased. Uh oh. "This is your fault, isn't it? You kidnapped her!"

"Taylor! It isn't his fault!" Gabriella didn't have to look behind her to know that she was clearly talking about Troy. Did everything go back to him? She sighed and walked closer to Taylor, pressing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I'll tell you what happened, just follow me, okay?" Gabriella stood there impatient, waiting for Taylor to respond. She wasn't even looking at her. "Taylor!"

Taylor scoffed in Troys direction and quickly looked back at Gabriella. "Fine."

* * *

"Gabriella, we were worried sick!" Taylor shouted, pointing at Sharpay and then back to herself. Wasn't Sharpay the one who seemed more worried in texts? What was with the change of attitude?

"I get that, alright? I just lost track of time." Gabriella slumped down in the corner as Sharpay and Taylor hovered over her like a little kid.

"Where were you exactly?" Sharpay asked, finally speaking.

"I was with Troy.." Gabriella said in a whisper. She wasn't some kid, dammit.

"I knew that." Taylor exclaimed, her shoulders held high.

Sharpay rolled her eyes. "I know, I just wanted to hear her say it."

"Guys..I appreciate all the concern..but I'm a big girl. I think I can handle myself."

"Not with love, you can't."

Gabriellas mouth opened at Taylors comment. Did she really think that Gabriella couldn't take care of herself when it came to Troy? "How could you say that, Tay?" Gabriella quickly stood up, a frown on her face.

"Well you haven't exactly had the best past with that dick..."

Gabriella laughed without any emotion. She couldn't believe she was hearing this. It was totally not her day. "Yeah? But you know how much of his fault it actually was. So how can you stand there and still think so lowly of Troy? It took me a while to realize how stupid I was blaming everything on him, when it was my fault for not trusting him. You're supposed to be my friend, Tay! You said you would support my decision! And I decided to be with him. You are not my mother, and you have no right to judge him or even me." With that Gabriella ran out the small gym, away from Taylor and Sharpay. Gabriella couldn't lie, she felt bad for yelling and storming off. But Taylor had no right to say the things she said. As for Sharpay, well, Gabriella had a feeling she would set Taylor straight. And when she did, Gabriella hoped Taylor would stop hating Troy.

* * *

"So, you wanna tell me what that was back there?" Chad asked as he set down the punching gloves.

"What did it look like, exactly?" Troy said, grabbing the punching gloves and putting them on.

Chad chuckled before holding up the bag in front of him. "It looked like you and Montez have something going on. Again."

"And if we do?" Troy questioned. "Again.." He mumbled after, extending his hand out to place a clean punch on the bag.

"Then you do..Just try not to fuck it up this time."

"Ha-ha." He punched hard this time, suddenly feeling frustrated. "I love her, man."

"Whoa. Easy there." Chad laughed, backing up a little. Troy rolled his eyes, ready to punch once more. "So it's really serious?"

"I'm going to ask her to marry me.." Troy muttered, wiping the sweat off his face. Chads mouth hung open as the bag dropped to the floor.

"Are you fucking serious?" Chad shouted in a whisper, staring at Troy. Troy quickly burst out into laughter, clutching his sides.

"No I'm not fucking serious. I'm not an idiot, Chad." Troy continued laughing, ignoring Chads death glare. "But Jesus, you should of saw your face...priceless."

"Shut the fuck up, Bolton." Chad hissed and shook his head before joining him and laughing.

* * *

_From: Gabriella_

_Can you please meet me in the dressing room? I need you._

Troy closed the text message as he put his phone in his pocket and stepped out of the bathroom that led into the hallway. He groaned to himself as he started walking, thinking the worst. If she was hurt in any way, he would give the person a slow painful death.

"Oh shit... I'm sorry." Troy quickly said, gripping onto the girls arms to stop her from falling. He was too worried about Gabriella, he didn't see where he was walking.

"It's okay..." The girl looked up, a large smirk on her face. "..Troy."

Troy clenched his teeth and growled at the girl, pushing her harshly away from him. "Move out of my way, Kristen."

She giggled annoyingly and shook her head, still holding out her hand to prevent Troy from getting away form her. "Did you like my brother?"

"You're fucking pathetic, Kristen. Do you not know how to fight your own battles? You need to hire someone to beat me up?"

"Oh please. I didn't hire him. He gladly did it for free." She winked. Troy groaned and shook his head in amusement. She always brought the bad side out of him.

"And why am I not surprised? You were always a slut." He was fed up with this girl, always getting her way. It was going to end sooner of later. Troy ignored her gasp and pushed past her, barely missing her shoulder. He jogged away from her, deciding to take the stairs this time.

"Brie?" Troy whispered, peeking his head into the dressing room. Gabriella appeared from the corner, a small smile on her face.

"Hi." Gabriella said, her voice smooth and surprisingly, calm.

Troy grinned and stepped inside the room, shutting the door behind him and making sure to lock it. "Are you okay?"

Gabriella nodded, stepping closer to him. She quickly wrapped her hands around his neck, pulling him against her in a large hug. "What happened, baby?" He whispered on her neck as his hands rubbed her back gently.

"Taylor being Taylor.." She whispered back.

"You wanna talk about it?" He asked, pulling back slightly to look into her watery eyes.

"Can you just hold me now? I don't wanna talk at the moment.." She spoke so softly, Troy felt his heart breaking slowly. He nodded resting his head in the crook of her neck again. Soon only her sobs could be heard throughout the whole room.

* * *

"Will you tell me what happened now?" Troy whispered into her hair as his fingers played with hers. She was seated between his legs, her head leaning against his chest. Troy heard her sigh softly and her angelic voice soon replaced the quiet.

"She just hates the idea of us..She thinks I'll get hurt again.."

"Did she tell you that?" Troy curiously asked.

"No..but I know she's thinking it. She told me I can't handle 'love'."

"It really isn't any of her business, babe. You shouldn't care what she thinks, friend or not. I won't hurt you."

Gabriella sighed. "I know..But it just isn't fair. She's supposed to support me. Not act like my mother."

"Even though, it's me we're talking about..Which I don't understand how anyone could hate me.." Troy joked, happy that Gabriella finally giggled. "She's right though, Brie. And you know she's just looking out for you. I should really award her for that."

Gabriella giggled again and playfully punched Troys leg. "I know she means well, Troy. But she knows what happened three years ago wasn't even your fault.."

Troy felt his his body cringe at the memory, and it reminded him of his recent encounter with Kristen. "Just give her sometime. I'm sure she'll come around." He rested his chin on her head, smiling to himself. "You did.."

Gabriella smiled as well, squeezing his hand. "I love you, Troy."

"Prove it."

* * *

"Hey, what did the General want?" Troy asked as he pulled his wife beater over his body. Gabriella suddenly stood there frozen. What was she supposed to tell him? 'Oh, nothing, just that we failed the mission and she thinks you're a traitor.'

"Uh..she just wanted to tell me how proud she was. Francisco was put into jail, and everything is fine now.." Gabriella lied, feeling more guilty as ever.

"Really? Well why just you? I thought I was a pretty important asset." He joked, walking toward Gabriella. Once he got there he sat down on the chair in front of the mirror and pulled her onto his lap.

"I'm sure she'll tell you later..She just wanted to do it separately." Gabriella shifted uncomfortably in his lap. He lifted his eyebrow at her actions and placed his hand on hers.

"Baby..." He remarked, lifting her chin so she was looking at him. "What are you not telling me?"

Gabriella took a deep breath before opening her mouth. Relationships shouldn't be based on lies, no matter how important they were. "Francisco isn't in jail..."

Troy sat up straighter, holding Gabriella tightly so she wouldn't fall. "I thought..?"

"It was a fake diamond Troy..Someone told him about the mission." Troy truly looked shocked, just like Gabriella did. "The worst part is, it's someone that works here.."

"Let me guess..We don't know who it is."

"The General has her picks."

"And?" Troy asked, uneasy.

Gabriella gently brushed the skin on his cheek and planted a small kiss there. "She thinks it's you, Troy."


	11. Plans

"How could she even think that? After all the shit I did for her?" He growled, pacing around the room. Gabriella slumped further into the chair and huffed. She knew he would react like this. That's exactly why she was so scared to tell him in the first place.

"Troy.."

"Jesus." He hissed, running a hand through his hair. "And after all the shit I went through? The diamond was fucking fake!"

"Troy..please.."

"I just can't fucking believe this." He lifted his hand, ready to attack the wall. Gabriella's eyes widened and she shouted loudly.

"Troy! Stop!"

Troys hand stopped dead in the air and he pulled it back against his chest, his heart beat slowing down. "What the fuck are we going to do?"

Gabriella stood up from her seat and walked over to Troy, wrapping both arms around him. "We'll prove you're innocent."

"How?" He asked in a small whisper, his voice now calm.

"We're going to find the real traitor."

* * *

For the rest of the day they worked out together, avoiding anyone and everyone, especially Taylor. They decided to head back to Gabriellas apartment to spend the night configuring a plan to find the real culprit.

"Are you crazy?"

"Only for you." Gabriella joked, hoping to ease the tension. Troy just stared, nothing more than a dead stare.

"There's no way in hell I'm going to let you do that."

"Troy..he didn't see me though..I can do t-"

"No." He hissed through his teeth as his fingers dug into the arm chair, opposite of Gabriella.

"But Troy! This is the best way to get Francisco and prove that you're innoc-"

"I said no, Gabriella." He interrupted once again, his tone harsher this time. Gabriella huffed, falling deeper into the chair. "I'm not going to let you walk straight to your death."

"How? I won't di-"

"You don't know that!"

"Will you stop interrupting me and just listen? It's a good plan, Troy!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "A good plan for anyone, but you."

"Are you secretly married to Taylor? Because I thought I made it clear I don't want you two as parents."

"Gabriella.."

"No, Troy. I'm going to do this. And you will help."

"If you get hurt.." He sighed again, not wanting to think any further.

"Which I won't. I'll have you to protect me, right?"

"I won't be with you the whole time.."

"But I trust that you will be there if anything happens. We're a good team, Troy. We can do this."

"You know, if the General finds out about this..we'll both be killed."

Gabriella laughed sarcastically. "I doubt that. And plus, she won't find out."

"You sound so sure." He joked, but he knew it wasn't a joking matter.

"I am, Troy. We'll be sneaky."

* * *

Troy watched her as she danced to a low song playing in the background of the kitchen. She kept her attention on the frying pan in front of her, containing her secret recipe which she wouldn't share with Troy. He smiled a bit at her kiddy behavior and stood up from the stool.

"How sneaky?" He asked, walking closer to her softly. She was still watching the pan, not noticing him approaching her.

"Um, really sneaky Troy." She said, not knowing why he asked that. Of course they would be really sneaky, duh.

"Yeah?" He whispered, his body close behind hers.

She still seemed oblivious to what he was doing, but continued talking anyway. "Yeah..I guess we'll have to be really sneaky, we can't get recognized."

"So what will you do? Change your appearance?" He asked, still behind her.

"Yeah..probably. I'll have to look like a completely different person." She heard footsteps behind her, and soon two arms snaked around waist, startling her. She tightened her grip around the handle of the pan as Troy kissed her neck gently.

"Will you wear those super...tight...spy...clothes?" He emphasized the word tight, causing Gabriella to shiver.

"I don't think that will be necessary.." She moaned under his touch as his tongue flicked against her skin.

"I think..you should put them on right now..." He husked, his lips directly over her ear. Her skin tingled, feeling his breath against her skin.

"Troy..the food.."

"Fuck the food. I want you for dinner." Gabriella shuddered at his choice of words and a louder moan escaped her mouth when his hands traveled under her shirt, cupping her breast in his hand. "Can you feel how hard I am for you?" He whispered, pressing his body further into hers. She was very aware how hard he was, it wasn't hard to miss. Which only turned her on more.

"Troy.." She whimpered as he grazed her nipple with his thumb and closed her eyes shut, trying to take in all the pleasure at once. "It will..burn.."

Troy groaned against her skin and quickly removed his hands from her mounds, grasping hard onto her shoulders and twisted her around so she was now facing him. His erection pressed hard against her pelvis, causing her core to throb in need.

He reached over her and harshly turned the stove off before lifting both of her feet and wrapping them around himself. Gabriella moaned at the closer contact with his member, feeling her desire shoot up.

"God, I want you so bad.." He growled, picking her up and placing her on top of the kitchen counter. He quickly attached his lips to her neck, sucking hard on her skin. His other hand worked its way back to her breasts, squeezing them pleasingly. She cried out in pleasure, throwing her head back and grasping onto anything she could grab, which happened to be his shoulder. She dug her nails into his skin, earning a grunt from Troy.

"Troy..please..." She couldn't wait any longer, she couldn't deal with the teasing this time. She needed him, and she needed him now.

Troy smirked against her skin before pulling away and forcefully crashing his lips against hers, plunging his tongue inside her mouth. His hand was resting on her thigh, closing further in on her wet core, still aching for him. As the kiss became more heated, he had no control over his mind. He pulled away from her and lifted his shirt off his body, followed by his pants. Gabriella did the same, pulling her shirt over her body, but leaving her bra intact. Troy growled at the sight in front of him, feeling his dick throbbing inside his boxers.

"You're so fucking hot babe.." He grinned tightly, walking over to her and engulfing her in another make out. He picked her up from the counter, both hands securely wrapped around her body. She used herself to hold onto his neck for balance as he used one hand to pull down her pants and panties at the same time, breaking the kiss. Gabriella groaned loudly as she felt her back hit the fridge, but Troy didn't seem to notice. He pulled his boxers down, leaving them around his knees and entered her quickly, not able to wait.

"Fuck Troy." She moaned, grasping onto his hair as he thrust deeper into her, pushing her harder against the fridge.

"So tight.." He panted, latching his lips against her neck once again. Gabriella cried out loudly as he sucked on her sweet spot, sending inevitable pleasure through her body.

He picked up the pace, pushing harder into her, only causing the fridge to shake behind them.

"Harder Troy..." Troy obliged, getting ready to push further into her until a loud knock brought him back to reality.

"You have got to be kidding me.." He hissed through his clenched teeth, staying frozen in his spot. Gabriella looked down at Troy, horrified. She bit her lip and nodded her head. "Are you serious? I'm not fucking moving." He whispered, still looking at her.

"Troy..please..I'll make it up to you later, okay?" She said in a low tone, not convincing enough for him. He groaned, feeling his hard-on softening inside of her. Whoever was at the door, he was surely going to kill them. He was so fucking close, and he hated to be interrupted.

"Fuck." He grunted, pulling out of her.

"Hold on!" She shouted for the person at the door as she planted her feet on the ground and scrambled for her clothes.

"Babe...hurry up, will you? I'm gonna fucking explode here." He shut his eyes, not able to watch her bouncing breasts. He could hear her heavy panting as she ran to the door.

"Put some clothes on, Troy!" She whispered, shocking Troy. He never thought he'd hear that.

"You're damn right you're making it up to me." He muttered as he pulled his boxers up, not bothering to put his shirt or pants on. It only made it harder for later. "Dammit." He groaned, looking down at his still hard penis. He grabbed a cup and gently placed it over. "What the fuck? No." He mumbled and threw the cup to the side.

Gabriella finally opened the door after a moments hesitation and put on a fake smile. "Hi, can I help you?"

An old woman, very short and wrinkly, frowned in Gabriellas direction. "I was just walking past to my room..and I heard screaming..Is everything okay dear?

Gabriella gasped and covered her mouth with her hand to suppress her giggles. Did this lady not know what sex was? Gabriella was sure she looked like a hot mess. "Uhm, everything's okay here, thank you for your concern though."

The old woman pushed past Gabriella toward her apartment, slowly walking. Gabriella tilted her head in her direction and shrugged her shoulders. "Mam, what are you doing?"

"I'm just making sure everything's okay..I heard screaming." Gabriella walked in front of her and held out her hand.

"Please, everything's okay. You can leave now." She didn't want to sound rude, but who the hell was she to walk in her house? It didn't matter how nice or old she was, that was trespassing.

"Babe, what's going on?" Troy emerged from the kitchen, wearing only his boxers, his hard on still very visible. Gabriella moaned at the sight and looked back at his sweaty body, forgetting about the intruder.

"Are you the attacker?" The old woman asked, stepping closer to Troy. Troy looked down, confused as hell, and back to Gabriella.

"What the hell..." He backed away as she closed in, reaching her hand out. "Who is this, Brie?"

Gabriella quickly came back to reality. Right, old woman in her house. How nice could she be? "I don't know!" She mouthed to him, walking right behind the old woman.

The old woman gripped hard onto something sticking out in front of her. "I've found the weapon, dear." She yanked hard on it and Troy grunted loudly, trying to push the woman away.

"Oh my god.." Gabriella gasped and ran up to both of them, grabbing the old woman and pulling her away. "You need to leave, now!" If Gabriella wasn't so worried for Troy, she would've noticed the small object the lady threw to the side.

* * *

"God damn..." He groaned, pressing the ice pack harder against himself.

"I'm so sorry baby... I don't know what the hell was wrong with her. I think she had memory loss.."

"And blindness? She fucking grabbed my junk, Gabriella!"

Gabriella cringed at his tone, but squinted one eye. "She was just being a good neighbor.." She whispered, trying to get Troy to calm down.

"No, she's fucking crazy. I've never experienced anything like that before."

"You think?"

Troy ignored her, pulled the ice-pack away and set it gently on the side of the bed. "Wanna do me a favor?"

Gabriella nodded, leaning against the door frame. "What is it?"

"Rub it for me?" Troy soon ducked as an unknown object came aiming toward his head. "Shit, babe! I was just kidding!"

"Oh please!" She laughed. "I know you weren't joking. Perv."

"Hey. You said you would make it up to me."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "That was before you nearly had your dick ripped off."

"So you're saying we can't do anything?"

"Troy, it just happened like 10 minutes ago..How about you wait a little?" Gabriella giggled at his immature ways and shook her head.

"But you're so fucking hot..." He begged, ignoring the pain that was still very much there.

"No, Troy."

"Well, fuck me...Pun intended."

* * *

Thoughts, comments? So what's up with the lady? Lol, she definitely freaks me out a bit. But yeah, all part of the storrryyy. Anyone have another idea why I interrupted their little session? ;) Okay! So, bye!


	12. Visits

"Troy, can you please get up now? I'm still hungry from before." She pouted, putting on her best puppy dog face as her eyes gleamed with want.

Troy rolled his eyes, immediately shaking his head.

"Why the hell not? Your penis is fine now!" Adding a small whine, Troy covered his ears.

Gabriella gasped.

"Troy! If you don't get the hell up now, I will invite that lady back here!" This time she shouted, pushing forward on him harshly.

"Get off me, woman!" He groaned, feeling the pressure of her body pressing hard against his dick. It still wasn't completely recovered, so this made it all the more worse.

"Make me a sandwich." She demanded in a very low voice, imitating a man. After a moment of silence, the pair broke out into laughter.

"You know, we don't actually sound like that." He chuckled, picking her up carefully by the shoulders. He rested her right next to his body, hers leaning slightly on his.

"Well what do you sound like, then?" She imitated again, this time faking it with a British accent.

"Definitely not like that." He chuckled again. "But, even when you do it, you still manage to turn me on." He justified with a dreamy wink. Gabriella blushed, smacking him lightly on the chest.

"Does that mean you will make me a sandwich now?" She smiled innocently, clamping her hands together.

Troy just shook his head.

"I guess it's time to find her." Gabriella grinned, pushing him away from her as she sprinted off the bed in a hurry.

"Hey, I was only kidding!" He called back, jumping off her bed in a run.

Gabriella stopped at her door, contemplating whether or not she should open it.

"You know, usually when someone chases you, you're supposed to keep running."

"Can we eat out?" Gabriella asked, twisting her body around to face him. He raised an eyebrow in confusion, but nodded.

"What happened to the sandwich?" He remarked, glancing down at her bewildered face.

"Changed my mind." She smiled up at him, awaiting his answer.

How could he say no to her? "Baby…" He walked closer, pressing his body against hers as her back met the door. Slowly, he placed his hand just above her head, balancing his body on his arm. "…You can have whatever you want."

She smirked, leaning her face by his. She paused just as her lips were approaching his. "And I want…" She said seductively, using her finger to deliberately trace the outline of his bare chest. His breath hitched as he imagined all the possible scenarios likely to happen. He wanted to join their lips; fight her tongue with his until she lost all feeling in it.

Her finger was getting dangerously close to his arousal, clearly visible through his boxers he had stripped down to before.

"What do you want, baby?" He husked, staring into her eyes as they focused on his growing erection.

She pressed her lips against his in a slow, passionate kiss, feeling her body ache with desire. She couldn't give into him, not yet.

Her lips moved with his, mimicking his actions as he softly nibbled on her bottom lip. She could feel his hands snaking around her waist, playing with the hem of her shirt before brushing his fingers on her stomach. The goose bumps immediately appeared on her skin and he could feel them rigid from his touch.

His tongue pried her lips open, loving the feeling as she almost too quickly intertwined them together. He was in charge now, having her wrapped around his finger. She was in a daze, falling hot under his touch.

"Troy…" She whimpered in his mouth, slowly closing her eyes in ecstasy.

"God, I love the way you say my name..." He breathed, plunging his tongue into her mouth once again.

She couldn't control herself; she realized that as soon as their lips joined. Her plan to seduce him, leave him wanting more, had failed briefly. She had tried to overcome his dominance by making him feel exactly like she did, but that only made him more powerful.

"Dinner…" She moaned quietly, cracking one eye open to see his reaction.

"Sh." He commanded, removing his lips from hers. For a moment she thought she had won, she thought she had finally beaten him. That was until he latched his mouth against her neck, sucking fiercely on her skin.

"Oh…" She sighed, feeling the pleasure erupt once again.

As if almost on cue, her stomach grumbled, startling Troy. He quickly stopped, pulling his head away and looked down at her body. How could her deprive her of food for his own needs? It may please him, but he could tell he was just torturing her with this. Her needs would always come first.

"Italian?" He guessed, flashing a small smile. Gabriella opened her eyes, finally taking in the fact that he had pulled away.

She smiled back, nodding her head. "You do realize that when you do something nice for me, I make the payment 100 times better." She winked at him, grinning widely.

"No appetizers, no desserts." He told her with pursed lips, dying at the thought of waiting for later.

"You got yourself a deal, Bolton."

* * *

"Baby, please just...cover it up."

"Why?"

Troy gulped, gripping harder against the steering wheel. Her very flashy cleavage had been taunting him all dinner, begging to be cared for. He had a hard time keeping his eyes off, and Gabriella definitely seemed to notice. For the rest of the night, she made sure to bend over at pointless things, like suddenly dropping her fork. She finally got him powerless, having all the control.

He tried, really tried, to stare directly into her eyes. But with those babies, he couldn't accomplish it. And that's why he ate as fast as he could, trying his best to quicken her tactics as well. Of course, it only made her take her sweet precious time, moaning dramatically when she tasted the delicious food. When she 'accidentally' dropped her fork under the table, she could see his hardened penis through his pants. He was ready for her, right then and there, begging with his eyes for her to hurry up.

She didn't want to be a total bitch, teasing him all night like he had recently done to her. This game was far too complicated for her liking. Even though she enjoyed it, it wasn't 'her'. So after an hour and a half of revealing his weakness, she decided she was full. The Italian restaurant, Pasta Garden (Lol, made up.), was her favorite, and she hated leaving so early. She could last for hours there, eating everything they had. The best part, you didn't have to dress so…fancy. You could throw on some dressy clothes, not too casual, and get on with it. She remembered telling him years ago it was her ultimate eating spot, so she was utterly surprised when they showed up here. Another reason she wanted to get home with him.

"Can you just do it?" He hissed, keeping his eyes on the road.

Gabriella giggled quietly, looking down at her tight, black halter top.

Success…again.

"Mmmm, just cause you asked so _nicely._" She retorted sarcastically and grabbed his hoodie from the back seat, slipping it over her shirt. She loved the way it felt on her, feeling closer to Troy by the minute.

People at work thought she was crazy, especially Taylor, for being so much in love with Troy. Half of them didn't know their history, so they assumed Gabriella was some love struck girl. Maybe she was rushing into things, already having him spend the night (vice versa), having sex constantly, and claiming their love for each other…

But it felt so right. It felt like they had been going out since the very beginning.

And that's exactly why she ignored the hateful comments.

"Better?" She grinned, pointing directly at his red hoodie.

"Much." He took a deep breath, finally relieved he could sneak a glance at her.

"Oh…"

Was he imagining that? He could've sworn her heard her moan-

"Oh!"

Troy's head jerked to the side, his eyes widening as he saw her small hand traveling down her legs through her opened jeans.

"W-What the hell are you doing?" He stammered, quickly looking back to the road.

"Thinking about you…" She moaned, arching her back against the seat. They still had 10 minutes until they got back, and since this was going to be an ended game, she wanted to finish it with her winning.

Shit, shit, shit. He could already feel his body tightening and his dick throbbing. She was evil, so evil.

"Troy!" She yelled, pressing her fingers harder against her leg. He was so gullible.

"Just drive." He mumbled to himself, draining out her voice.

"God, it feels so good, baby…" She said, watching him from the corner of her eye. Dammit, Bolton, look at her.

He was breaking, he was sweating, and he was hyperventilating. At any moment, he would stop this car, and pounce himself onto her. She was killing him, slowly and painfully.

"I can just picture your dick inside me-"

He growled out loud. He couldn't deal with it anymore. His dick was suffocating.

"Stop!" He demanded, thankful for the red light. He looked over at her, his eyes filled with anger and lust.

Wait, why was she grinning?

"Oh, Troy… silly, gullible Troy." She pulled her hand out, raising it up so he could see. "You seriously think I would do that…in your car?" She giggled, shaking her head.

"What the fuc-"

"Got cha!" She interrupted, smiling with her teeth. He groaned, stepping hard on the gas.

"You're going to pay. So fucking badly..." He hissed, speeding into the parking lot.

Gabriella gulped. She had a feeling she was going to be sore tomorrow.

He hadn't looked at her the whole way up, nor did he shed a word. He just stuffed his hands in his pockets and watched the elevator doors, humming the Halloween theme song. Should it scare her? Yes. And it definitely did.

"Troy…It was just a joke, you can't ignore me forever." She muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. She expected something different from him, a completely different reaction. And she thought she knew where it would lead too. Until…right about now. Now, she was confused.

He continued humming, tapping his finger in his pocket.

When the doors opened, Troy was the first to jog out, leaving Gabriella standing alone. She grunted, stomping her feet into the hall.

He opened her apartment with her key, grinning when he heard the grunts and footsteps behind him.

She quickly caught up to him, pushing past him into her home. She stopped walking right in front of the door, just as he closed it behind him.

"You going to talk to me now?" She asked, her hands still across her chest.

"Oh, Brie…silly, gullible Brie." He mimicked, his hands already pulling his shirt off his body. Gabriella gasped, watching as he also kicked his pants off. "There will be no need for talking right now."

Ugh, why did he have to be so smooth?

"Troy-"

"Strip, Brie." He growled, stepping dangerously closer to her.

This was more like what she expected. She was going to do her best to keep cool, which was her plan. Whatever he tried, she was going to ignore him like he did before.

That was until he threw his boxers off to the side.

"U-Uh-" She stuttered, backing away from him.

"You're taking way too long." He walked faster, soon closing her in against the kitchen counter. His erection was pressed hard again her body, just by her waist.

She let out a strangled moan, feeling an aching pain below.

"Troy…" She squeaked as he just stared at her, his body still. He wasn't doing anything and it was starting to annoy her.

"How does it feel?" He whispered, gently tracing her cheekbone with his finger.

"It feels-"

_BANG._

Gabriella jumped, looking behind Troy at her door. How many times were they going to be interrupted in one day?

"If it's that old lady again-"

Gabriella silenced him with a small kiss, pulling away a moment later. He grinned, moving to the side so she could get by.

"This time, put all your clothes on, please." She smiled, straightening herself out before taking a deep breath. She opened the door, her smile fading at what she saw.

"What are you guys doing here?" Gabriella was furious. No, beyond furious. They couldn't have picked a better time to discuss this?

"We have to talk." Her (best friend?) said, sadly looking at Gabriella.

"Listen-"

"Gabriella, please." Sharpay pleaded.

Gabriella sighed, but nodded her head in agreement.

"Just wait here for a minute." Both girls nodded as well and Gabriella quickly shut the door, walking back into the kitchen.

Troy was standing there, his body leaning against the counter. His clothes were back on, but that only made her want to take them off again.

"I know," He answered for her, stepping close by. He planted a small kiss on her forehead, letting his lips stay there for a moment, before pulling back and smiling. "I'll see you tomorrow baby."

"I love you." She watched as he got ready to walk to the door.

"I love you." He repeated, winking at her. She giggled as he made his way to the door, opening it up with a grin. "Ladies." He said, nodding to the girls, looking once at both of them before they moved out of the way. He squished past them, disappearing into the hall.

Gabriella watched, smiling like an idiot. God, she loved him.

"Let me just change, and then we'll talk?" She said, not bothering to hear their answers.

Gabriella threw on one of Troy's t-shirts, a pair of sweatpants, and left her hair flowing over her shoulders.

When she left her room she saw both of them calmly seated on her couch, looking down.

"Let's hear it." Gabriella stated, sitting down in her arm chair. She spread her arms over the sides, patiently tapping the soft fabric.

"Gabs-" Sharpay started, but Taylor quickly said something;

"I'm sorry, Gabriella. I shouldn't have judged you like that…" She sighed. "It's just, you're my best friend, and I hate seeing you hurt. I know he never did anything, but Troy became a player after the thing with you two. I would hate myself if he did something to you for real this time, and you became the same girl that put on a tough act. When Alex came along, you changed for the better. And then he was gone…and you were a wreck. But Troy, he came back into your life. If something happens with you two, I'm afraid you're going to be gone forever…"

Gabriella let a single tear fall down her cheek before quickly wiping it away. She sniffed quietly, pulling both of her hands into her lap.

"Tay…I know you care, I really do. And I love you so much for that. But Troy makes me happy, and I know he won't do anything like that. He's different with me, you know. He's sweet, caring, charming…And he treats me like any girl should be treated. Whether something does happen later on, it shouldn't matter to you…I'll expect you to come over with ice cream, just like the last time. Because that's exactly what sisters do."

By the time Gabriella finished, both girls were already standing, pulling each other in the longest hug ever. Gabriella could tell she was crying by the wetness of her shirt, and Taylor knew Gabriella was crying by the sound of her sobs.

"Aw, yay! We're the three amigas again!" Sharpay giggled, feeling herself getting pulled into the hug. They stayed like that for a good five minutes, happy to have each other.

"Sleepover tonight?"

"Definitely." They all echoed at the same time, laughing together.

* * *

By the time Troy got home, it was already 12:16, and he could never be more exhausted. He took a quick shower, ate a snack, and finally stripped down to his boxers before settling down in bed.

He smiled to himself, feeling extremely comfortable.

Almost forgetting, Troy grabbed his phone from the night stand and typed furiously into the keypad.

_To: My baby_

_Just wnted 2 tell u I love u b4 I go 2 sleep_

_Hope u nd Taylor worked things out ;)_

_Love u tease _

Troy grinned, setting the phone aside. He would never get tired of saying he loved her. Never.

He finally felt himself drifting off to sleep, his breaths becoming calmer…

Until he heard his doorbell ring. Ah, and he was getting so used to the knocking.

After he stepped out of bed, dragging his feet to the door, he opened it up casually, groaning at the sight.

"What the fuck are you doing here, Kristen?"

She was crying. A lot. Her cheeks were stained with tear marks and mascara, and her hair was a mess. She actually looked better this way.

"P-Please…I have…no…one…else…"

Déjà vu, much?

"I'm sure you have someone that actually cares." He made an attempt to shut the door, but she stuck her foot out and invited herself in.

"Troy…I'm sorry for everything I've done…I know I was a heartless bitch…but please, I'm not lying this time."

He would've fell for that any other day, but now, he still wasn't buying her drama act.

"Go home, Kristen." He hissed, followed by another try at closing the door.

"I-I was raped!" She screamed, immediately falling to the ground, tears streaming down her face.

Troy's eyes widened, but he didn't feel any different. Was that cold of him, to still not care? Rape was horrible, he knew that…but everything she said, everything she told him, turned out to be a lie. Maybe he couldn't care because; he had a gut feeling she was lying.

"Kristen…" He said softly, kneeling down to her level. He hesitantly reached out to her, awkwardly patting her on the back. "It's okay…these things…happen…" Wow, that was a stupid thing to say. When did he become such an idiot?

"Troy…" She crawled into his arms, crying hard against his chest. He wasn't that big of a dick to just push her off, but her intentions…He had no idea what they were. "Can…I-please-sit-down?" She stammered, looking up with teary eyes.

He mentally killed himself in his mind, and then killed her countless times. But he slowly nodded, lifting himself up with her in his arms.

Troy was nice enough to set her down on his couch, just not nice enough to still sit next to her.

"You…wanna talk about it?"

"You-u really…suck…at this…" She giggled between sobs, wiping away her many tears.

"Thanks..." He mumbled, nervously playing with his hands. "Did you tell the police?"

"Can I use the bathroom?" She said, acting oblivious to his question.

"Uh…sure," He used his finger to point to the right of him. "Down the hall, first door on the left."

She nodded, quickly stepping up and running to the bathroom.

Troy slouched down in the couch, taking deep breaths to himself. If Gabriella ever found out about this, it would be the end of them. She wouldn't listen, even if he told her about the rape. It took her this long to believe him for something he didn't do. So this…was bad. If Kristen ever told Gabriella, he would personally kill her.

Troy patiently waited, counting to himself.

1 sheep…

2 sheep…

40 sheep…

Alright, she was taking way too long.

Troy stood up, twisting his body so he could easily walk to the bathroom. She was walking toward him, more tears down her face.

"Oh, Troy." She shouted, running at him. She jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his waist.

Shit. "There, there…" He soothed, his hands in the air. "Is…uhm…everything okay?"

"I-I'm pregnant, Troy…" She cried, digging her face into the crook of his neck.

Whoa, how the hell was she pregnant? When was she fucking raped?

"It's yours…" That's how he knew she was lying. And then, he felt his neck being sucked on. Fuck, he fell under her trap again.

"Kristen, get the fuck off of me!" He shouted, pushing at her non pregnant stomach, trying his best not to injure her.

A sharp pain shot through his neck, and he felt as if his skin had just been harshly pinched.

She jumped off of him, a smirk wiped on her face.

"Kris-" His knees began to wobble and his vision suddenly became blurry. His body felt paralyzed, but he didn't understand what was happening.

"Have a nice nap, love." She grinned, holding up syringe in her right hand and moving it around teasingly.

"You…fucking…" Before he could get his last thought out, he fell to the ground, his hand pressed against the wall to keep balance. He was trying so hard to stay awake…but he couldn't. He wasn't immune. He was just an idiot human being.

And then, he let the darkness overcome him.


	13. Needles

Gabriella.

That was the first thing that popped into his mind when he woke up some time later.

His body felt sore, but not as much as his dignity.

He had been stupid enough to believe a word Kristen said, and his nice act overpowered his tough one.

God, this time, he would kill her. It didn't matter if she was a girl. He would kill her.

And then, he would bring her back to life, just so he could kill her again.

Maybe after that, he'd let Gabriella have a shot at it.

Gabriella…

How was he supposed to tell her this? Tell her he let Kristen trick him, yet again. He didn't know how she would react, he didn't want to. He thought about not telling her, but she trusted him. And he had a hard time lying to her. Better yet, keeping shit to himself.

"Fuck." Troy mumbled, using all his strength to sit up. He cracked his back, his neck, his knuckles, everything that he could crack. After, he blinked quite a few times and looked around his surroundings.

His bed. He was in his bed. And he was fully clothed, from top to bottom. Was it all a sick dream?

He pressed one finger against his warm neck, groaning when he felt some pain. Unless the dream had some Freddy Krueger shit going on, it wasn't a dream.

Troy lifted himself off his bed, running a single hand through his messy hair. He needed answers.

Why did Kristen leave him there? In his own home? Did she forget the fact that he worked with her? There was no way she would get out of this one. Not unless she was in hiding.

He ignored her for a moment, walking over to his mirror. He pulled his collar down, wincing when he saw the small bruise. It hurt a lot more than what it seemed. And he's faced worse. Especially the ones that were fading on his face. Jesus, he was just a fucking mess.

"And this is where my friends come out, telling me I've been punk'd." He said out loud to himself, groaning and leaving his mirror. His own reflection was making him sick.

Troy walked over to his nightstand, squinting to see the time. Great, it was already 9 a.m. Training started at 8. Nothing more suspicious then being over an hour late. Now the General would really trust him!

He sarcastically laughed to himself before grabbing his phone and turning it on. There it was, a few missed calls and the two text messages he knew he would see. One from last night, and probably one from this morning.

The first one, was a simple 'Everything went great, I love you ass.' The second, was not so simple. It was long, very long. And he could tell she was frustrated writing this. Her spelling was off, which it never was. But mainly the fact that she didn't say she loved him. That meant two things, Kristen told her about last night, minus the drugging part, or she was so worried she was angry?

Whatever it was, he did not want to find out through text messages.

10 minutes later, Troy finished showering and changing, and quickly left his apartment, not bothering to check the place for anything out of the ordinary. He just wanted to confront Kristen, and tell Gabriella he loved her. A lot.

* * *

"Golly G! Why don't you call the damn boy?" Taylor exclaimed, holding out Gabriella's phone for her. Gabriella shook her head and went back to doing her daily push-ups.

"If he's not going to answer my text…" She sighed, remembering how mad she was during it. "Why would he answer my calls?"

It was simple. Gabriella thought the worst. No deaths, no hurting, no pain. Just plain cheating. Going back to the way he used to be.

But then, part of her thought she was exaggerating. He probably overslept, like she has many times.

Again…the cheating thing was the number one thing on her mind. After what Taylor told her she was worried about, Gabriella was in too deep. Taylor was logical, she always was, and most of the time she was right. Even if it had to do with Gabriella and her love life.

"You guys are thinking this over way too much." Sharpay said, grabbing the phone from Taylor. "There's so many things he could be doing…Besides that." She explained, trying her best to sound as smart as Taylor.

Taylor sighed, but nodded her head. "Yeah, ignore me…Just cause I'm not so fond of the guy, doesn't mean I'm going to make up shit about him. I'm sure nothing was going on with him."

Gabriella smiled, trying her best not to let them see. She loved that she was trying.

"If you guys say s-"

"Hey guys."

Gabriella's head whipped up at the sound of the male voice, but she frowned when she recognized it almost too quickly.

"Chad!" Taylor grinned, jumping up and wrapping her arms around him for a hug. They shared a moment, that eventually lead to a few minutes of kissing.

Sharpay scoffed, due to her being single.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, due to her boyfriend not being there at the moment.

"Have you talked to Troy, Chad?" Gabriella stood up, breaking up their moment. Chad held onto Taylor, but focused his attention on Gabriella.

"Actually, I was going to ask you that. I tried calling, he didn't answer. Probably just sleeping." Gabriella smiled appreciatively. That's exactly what she liked to hear. Not the part that he didn't even know, though.

"What's up with Kristen?" Sharpay asked, standing up beside Gabriella. Everyone looked at her, taking in her baggy clothes, messy hair, and non-dolled up face. She looked different…in a very bad way.

"Who cares." Both Chad and Taylor chorused, but Gabriella didn't answer. She couldn't help but feel bad at her sudden change in style. It seemed like she was truly upset. And even though Gabriella hated her, she didn't like seeing anyone being _that_ upset.

"Yeah…" Gabriella mumbled, looking away from Kristen. Her eyes were locked on the door as she saw her boyfriend step in, no emotion present on his face. What was up with him?

She still smiled, walking up to him to meet him halfway. "Hey, babe. Did you oversleep?" She asked, instantly reaching out for a hug.

Troy shrugged past her, grunting to himself.

Did Troy just deny her?

"Troy?" Gabriella ran up to him, gripping hard on his shoulder. She didn't know, but she brushed against his new bruise, a little too hard.

He winced, pulling his body away. "I have to go do something, stay here and wait for me please?"

Gabriella slowly nodded, unsure of his actions. He just looked hurt, but a bit emotionally. It was all confusing her.

He left her, but not alone. She stood with Sharpay, dumbfounded. Chad and Taylor were in the corner, playfully training with each other; in the most non-perverted way possible.

"Is he okay?" Sharpay questioned, looking at Troy walking away and back to Gabriella.

Gabriella looked away from Troy. She didn't know how to respond now, did she?

Meanwhile, Troy saw Kristen right away when he stepped into the gym. He noticed her, even before he had seen Gabriella with a group huddled around.

"Kristen." He growled, harshly grabbing her arm and pulling her away from her 'posse.'

"Troy? Why are you hurting me?" She innocently asked, wincing at the pressure he was putting on her arm.

He managed to get them out of the gym through another exit, leaving the two in a deserted hallway.

"What the fuck did you do to me?" He roughly let go of her, pushing her against the wall. Yeah, he was hurting a girl, but she was only a girl in everyone else's eyes. To him, she was a devil in disguise.

She pouted, but then shockingly started giggling. "Oh calm down, Troysie, I just used a tranquilizer, nothing biggie."

Troy groaned, slamming his fist on the wall, right near her head. "Why?" He spat, his blood pumping furiously.

"If I told you, you'd go running around telling everyone, wouldn't you?" She smiled, unphased by his actions.

"I'll give you to the count of three to tell me, or I will-"

"What will you do, Troy?" She grinned, licking her lips slowly. "You can't tell anyone – it's your word against mine. You can't hurt me – you'll go to jail. So basically…you're screwed."

He ignored every word she just said. He didn't want to believe it. "I don't get it, Kristen. You knock me out, but you don't bother to move me? How does that make any sense?"

She just laughed again, tracing the outline of his veins on his bare arm. "You are so hot when you're angry…"

Troy rolled his eyes, pushing himself away from her. "I'll find out what you're planning. You can count on it."

He started walking, but her voice stopped him.

"Oh, and Troy? Remember, if you even try to tell the General, I still have that amazing excuse from yesterday, don't I? She'll have to believe me, seeing as though she already thinks you're a traitor. And hey, I always wanted to have your babies."

Troy cursed silently to himself, angrily walking away from her. What the fuck was he supposed to do now?

Gabriella waited patiently against the wall, watching as her friends chatted with each other. She kept repeating what Troy had said to her in her mind, over and over again. He never talked that way to her, never. And she was scared.

"Brie?"

Gabriella looked up, smiling at Troy. He was smiling back, the smile she longed to see. "Everything okay?"

He wanted to tell her. He really did. But he didn't know how, and he didn't want to say it right here with people around. He would just have to wait. "Everything's perfect." He lied, putting on his best fake grin.

* * *

"So tell me about Taylor." Troy insisted as he played with her hands nestled on his lap, and rested his chin on the base of her hair. They left their friends before, sneakily making their way to their favorite hangout place; the dressing room.

"What do I say? We made up…Ate ice cream. Talked gossip, watched movies. The normal." She giggled, flicking the back of his hand lightly.

"Oh." He chuckled, vibrating her underneath him as he spoke. "Anything about me?" Alright, that was stupid to ask.

"Everything about you, Troy." She smiled as he kissed her softly on her hair, taking in her sweet scent of berries, with a hint of watermelon. It was driving him nuts.

"Did you mention anything about a certain…F?" Troy asked curiously.

"Are you crazy? I can't tell them. They would try to stop me."

"Maybe that's why we should tell them." He mumbled, realizing after a moment that he wasn't supposed to say that out loud.

Gabriella pretended to ignore it, not wanting to get into this argument again. "So Troy, what exactly happened before?"

He knew right away she was referring to Kristen, and he knew right away he wouldn't know how to respond.

"What do you mean?"

He heard a loud groan, and soon her body was jerked forward, completely out of reach.

"Cut the shit, Troy." She stood up in front of him, glaring viciously at him. She was trying to play it cool, act nice, avoid fights…But when he insisted on lying, she couldn't help it. "Tell me what happened before. Remember, no secrets?" She hissed.

"Brie-"

His voice was soft, and that was sure to lead to another lie.

"Don't _Brie_ me." She demanded, holding her hand up when his body was ready to stand. He stopped, sitting back down. "You're going to tell me now, or I will pound your face in."

"Feisty…" He grinned, watching as her face tensed.

"I'm serious, bud. I've kicked your ass before, I can do it again."

He couldn't tell her, could he?

"Gabriella-"

"Oh, so now Gabriella? How about don't even say my name!" Saying she was angry was an understatement.

He sighed, looking down at his hands. His fingers were already fiddling with each other, he hadn't noticed.

"Troy, please. We aren't supposed to lie to each other…we just can't." She choked out, her eyes on the verge of tearing. Why did she have a feeling he was cheating on her? Was Taylor right?

"Baby…" He quickly stood up as he heard her sobs echo in his ears, and pulled her into a tight, warming hug. "I wish I could tell you…"

She looked up at him, the tears already streaming down her face. "Why can't you?"

"I already lost you once; I can't afford having it happen again."

"Troy…" She hiccupped through her tears. "You won't lose me…" Even if her aching assumption was true.

He thought about it as he held her in his arms, considering the options of not telling her. She would find out sooner or later, and she would hate him. Maybe in time she would forgive him, again.

Slowly, he tugged at his t-shit, bringing it down slightly by the collar.

"What…happened?" She gently brushed her finger over it, trying to ignore the fact that he jumped at the contact. It was a small circle, the edges fading into his tan skin. Gabriella thought it was a bruise at first, but when she stared at it, she noticed the single dot in the middle.

"I need you to listen to me, until the very last word I speak. If you say anything, this will be extremely hard."

Gabriella nodded, agreeing to his terms. She was just worried, that's all.

"When I got home last night…I got a visitor." He paused, searching her eyes for any sign of resentment. She was staring back at his, her full attention on him. He couldn't make it out. She looked the same only a minute ago. "Much to my luck, it was Kristen."

Oh god. She had a hard time controlling herself from then on, exactly what he expected. Her eyes widened, but her mouth made no movement.

"She told me she was raped, Brie…She fooled me again, made me fall for her innocent act."

They kissed. He slept with her. It was a hickey; that's all she could think.

"She sedated me-"

"What?" Gabriella shrieked, her body contracting under his grip. She used all her force to push him away, but he just tried to get closer. "Why the hell would she do that?"

"Baby-"

"Where the fuck is she?"

Gabriella eventually put the pieces together. The bruise was just the after effect of having that type of needle go through your skin, especially with Troy having sensitive skin. The scars and scraps covering his body was a clear example.

"We have to tell the Gener-"

"No!" He quickly grasped her wrist, pulling her away from the door.

"She tried to kill you Troy! And she got away with it! How could you not tell someone?" She questioned, her voice undeniably cold.

"She didn't try to kill me, Gabriella." He confirmed, tightening his grip around her wrist as she tried to pull away. "We can't tell the General, she wouldn't believe me."

"Oh yes she will." Gabriella scowled.

"No, she won't. She already thinks-"

"Not when we tell her who the real traitor is!"

God, she was so stubborn. "Yeah? Who says it's Kristen?"

"Why else would she let you live, Troy?"

"I don't know yet..."

"Exactly why we need to tell Caruso!"

"We're not going to tell the General about this. There's no way in hell."

* * *

"And that's exactly why Kristen is the traitor, General."

Troy rolled his eyes, avoiding any eye contact with the two conversing women. He let Gabriella get to him, saying they wouldn't need to worry about Francisco anymore, and she would be safer. He would always agree with Gabriella if it meant keeping her safe.

"I see." She sighed, standing up from her seat. "Troy, Gabriella, would you two like to come with me while I fetch Kristen?"

Troy quickly straightened his body, his lips pursing in confusion. "I'm sorry…fetch her? Why would we need to do that?"

"I need to hear her alibi, don't I?"

"But we-"

"Yes, that would be great, General." Gabriella glared at Troy while Caruso was walking past them to the hall, leaving the two alone for a moment.

"What the hell?" Troy whispered, walking over to Gabriella with his hands up.

"Troy, she believes us, there's no reason to worry." She whispered back, walking away from him toward the door. He followed, groaning in disbelief.

Both came to a sudden stop when they were in the hall, guards surrounding the area. The General was calmly standing a few feet away, a sad expression on her face.

"I wish it didn't come to this." She sighed, dejectedly shaking her head. "But traitors don't deserve second chances."

Before either could respond, they felt a needle go right through their skin.


	14. Lifetime

Troy groaned to himself as he lifted his head up, immediately feeling a sharp pain in it. He raised his hand to his forehead, putting enough pressure on it to cease the pain. God, why was it throbbing so much?

He sighed to himself, wishing the previous events were just a dream. He remembered exactly what happened, to the moment he was injected once again. Then everything became a blur, until now, where he was fully awake, and very much alone.

If Gabriella was awake, she would be freaking out, that's for sure. She counted on the General, to help him, to help them, and there she was, knocking the both of them out. So much for trust issues.

"Fuck." He grunted, pressing a finger against the bruise on his neck. The skin was slightly lifted, in the same spot of the recent injection. That was sure to leave a nasty mark… over the other mark.

Shit, how the hell was he supposed to get out of this one now?

"Glad to see you're up, Troy." Troy's head quickly jerked to the side of him, but everything was still a blur. He couldn't see in the dark.

"General?" He questioned, blinking a few times. It was completely pitch black, he couldn't even see his own hands.

Suddenly, light filled the room, and Troy had a clear view of the General surrounded by two guards behind her. She actually looked upset. It was either for herself, or for Troy. He was going to go with herself.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions." She guessed, and Troy couldn't help but let out a chuckle. Obviously he had a lot of questions. He was thrown into this cell, accused of being a traitor. And more importantly, Gabriella wasn't there.

"How about we start with why you're here." She smiled, almost as if she read his mind. Troy instantly became angry when he thought of Gabriella. If she was feeling what he was feeling, he would kill the General, even if it meant he would be in more trouble.

"Where's Gabriella?" He couldn't hold it off any longer, he needed an answer. And if one wasn't given to him, he wasn't speaking a damn word.

"She's fine." She simply answered, her eyes focused on Troys face.

He wanted more than that. He wanted a location; so when he busted out, he could easily get to her.

"Where is she?" He asked again, this time adding a glare. She looked to wall of the small room that was completely covered in concrete. It was like a real jail cell, just minus the metal bars. Instead of those, it had automatic doors.

"She's in my office." He stared at her, wondering why the hell she would be there, and him here. What was the point of knocking her out, then?

"She didn't do anything." Troy quickly added, nervously waiting for her to agree.

"The evidence does not state that."

"What fucking evidence?" He angrily asked, happy to see her jump at his tone.

"Shall I just start from the beginning?"

Troy wanted to roll his eyes, he really did. But it seemed like she noticed how stupid that was to say.

"At first…I didn't want to believe it. Gabriella, with such an arrogant man, acting as if he was her whole world. I had to do some research, find out if it was actually true. I'm aware you know Kristen, someone who helped me very much with this case. She brought it to my attention that you two were an item, proof involved, and that's when I knew, both of you were traitors. I only thought it was you…If you had truly encountered Francisco, he would've killed you right away. And that's how I knew, when you came back alive, but just a little beaten. No one could get out alive if they faced Francisco..."

Troy growled, tugging at the handcuffs attached to a pipe, and connected to his hand. He wanted so badly to rip her head off, and Kristen's. But Kristen deserved it worse. Way worse.

"Gabriella was always a very good spy, I guess things changed when a scumbag gets involved. I had my very good friend bug her apartment, just to make sure Kristen wasn't wrong,"

The only person he could think of ever going into Gabriella's apartment while he was with her, was either Sharpay, Taylor…or the old lady. Troy mentally cursed to himself. It was so obvious, but yet he hadn't noticed. Old ladies don't just show up like that, issues or not.

"I heard Gabriella talking about you, laughing with you, speaking with you, and it was saddening to know the truth. So I had Kristen search your apartment, to prove my instincts right. You know what she found? She found Francisco's number, and his address." She finished it off with a shake of her head, closing her eyes in emphasis.

Troy was taken back, he couldn't actually imagine what Kristen was doing while Troy was knocked out. But now, he knew. She was searching his damn apartment the whole time, and Troy didn't bother to look hard enough to find things that were off.

"General-"

"Save it, I don't want to hear any more excuses, I have proof."

He had no idea how to explain himself now, if she wouldn't fucking listen to him. He had Francisco's information because Gabriella gave it to him to hold. It was for the side mission they were going to do to try and take down Francisco, and to find the real traitor. She was assuming it wrong, and didn't even bother to ask why he had the papers. Apparently, secretly trying to help the General, wasn't that great of an idea.

"Gabriella had nothing to do with it." If she wasn't going to let him explain, he might as well just give himself up.

"Love makes you do crazy things, Mr. Bolton. I'm sure she would agree." The General nodded, twisting her body around to leave.

She actually believed Gabriella would risk everything, for him?

Troy's eyes widened as she left the room, keeping her guards with Troy. They were walking closer to him, gripping their guns tightly to their chests.

"Ah, Bolton, I never saw you as a traitor type." One of them said, laughing lightly to themselves. Troy rolled his eyes, sarcastically nodding his head.

"Yeah, yeah."

* * *

"I didn't do anything!" She screeched, running a hand through her curly locks. She shifted in her seat, pulling at the handcuffs around her wrist, which was becoming horribly painful.

"I want to believe you, Gabriella, I really do." The General sighed, blowing a strand of hair away from her face.

"So why can't you? What reason have I given you to not trust me?" Gabriella wished she would she uncuff her, so she could find Kristen and kick the shit out of her. Then she could find Troy, wherever the hell he was. The General made it clear she didn't want to talk about him.

"Are you in love, Gabriella?"

Gabriella was shocked at the Generals words. Why the hell was she asking that? "Um, excuse me?" She asked in disbelief, narrowing her eyes.

"Are you in love?" She repeated, the same exact way she did before.

Gabriella sat there, her hand throbbing, her head aching, and her thoughts consuming her mind.

"I don't see how this-"

"Just answer the question, Gabriella."

She slowly nodded, immediately thinking of Troy. She was in love with him, more than she ever pictured herself loving someone. It was crazy to say you would die for someone, but Gabriella would. She would die for Troy any day. That's exactly how much she loved him. And sometimes, it sort of scared her.

"Then that's why I can't believe you."

"General, please-"

"You and Troy will be transferred to a government facility in an hour, and from then on I have no control over you two. I'm sorry Gabriella, I really thought you had potential." She sighed, slowly standing up from her chair. Gabriella stared with wide eyes, tears streaming down her face. She was going to a government prison?

"General-"

"Enough. Nothing you say will change my mind, it's done." She quickly walked out before Gabriella could say anything and slammed the door behind her, causing Gabriella to jump a little as she stared at the previous spot Caruso was in.

"Fuck me." She muttered, closing her eyes and letting more tears fall.

* * *

"Watch where you put your fucking hands, Gaylord." Troy spat at the guard behind him as he lifted him off the ground.

"Shut the fuck up, Bolton." The other guard said in front of him, his eyebrows going inward.

Troy felt more metal against his wrists as he was standing, and he winced in pain. "Fuck, want to make them any tighter?"

He heard a muffled laugh behind him, followed by a voice. "Yes, I do."

Troy grunted, feeling more pressure against his wrists when the handcuffs tightened around them. "Dick."

"Hey, watch it. I don't want to have to hit you for assault." Guard number one said, holding up his gun and grinning. Troy rolled his eyes.

"Walk, Bolton."

Troy didn't have a chance to move his feet before he was lunged forward, guard number two pushing against his back as he held onto his arms.

"Yes master." Troy mumbled under his breath, quickly closing his mouth when guard number one looked at him.

"Hey, so where are you fuckers bringing me?" Troy asked, a hint of sarcasm laced in his voice. He chuckled, loving the way the guard beside him glared.

"God, I'm _so_ happy you're leaving." He heard behind him in a whisper, followed by the other guard laughing.

Troy gulped, not sure what they meant by that.

"Ah, is thee Troy Bolton, scared?"

"Where the fuck am I going?" He looked next to him, waiting for the guard to answer.

"You're going to prison my man." He grinned.

Troy's upper body froze, but his legs kept moving. What was going to happen to Gabriella?

And why the hell was he going to prison, for being a 'traitor'? Not even the real traitor deserved something like that.

* * *

Kristen happily smiled as she walked to the gym, reminding herself of the accomplishments she's done. She's managed to get both Troy and Gabriella locked up, for just being traitors. When really, they weren't even close to being traitors. She found some papers in Troy's apartment about taking down Francisco, but she decided to leave that part out when she showed the General. Troy broke her heart for a stupid spy, so he deserved this completely. As for Gabriella, she really couldn't care less what happened to her.

She giggled softly, remembering Gabriella's reaction when she saw Troy in a lip lock with Kristen. She went ballistic, pretty much going into depression. She didn't know why, but she was always somewhat obsessed with Troy Bolton, ever since she laid eyes on him three years ago. He may have denied that he loved her, but deep down, she totally knew he did. And that's why she stole another precious item from him, a beautiful heart shaped necklace she found in a box on his dresser. It was probably for Gabriella, but whatever, it fit her better.

"Ow, dammit." She frowned, looking down at the floor where she seemed to step on something. But before she could completely see, she felt something heavy press against her head.

"You move, I shoot."

* * *

It was exactly an hour, right on time, when guards came in for Gabriella. They were gentle with her, not cutting off her circulation on her wrists. She assumed it was because she knew one of the guards from a while ago, when she got into some trouble with Taylor. He liked her a lot, so it pained him to have to bring her away. He had a feeling she was innocent, but it was not his business to get involved.

"Am I going to stay there forever?" She murmured, twisting her head around to Mike, the guard. He frowned, but slowly nodded.

"Oh god." Gabriella sighed, shaking her head in denial. She wanted to have a family someday, with Troy. And now, she was going to be in prison forever.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella." He whispered behind her, truly meaning it all.

"I know." She responded, watching her feet as she walked.

When they reached the hallway, Gabriella recognized it as her favorite floor, the one with the dressing room. All the memories were flooding back to her, and it was making it worse.

Silently crying to herself, she looked up in front of her, her eyes widening when she saw three people emerge from the corner.

"Troy!" She shouted, jerking her body forward, but it came to halt when Mike tightened his grasp.

Troy looked to the side of him, a smile forming on his face when he saw Gabriella. It quickly faded as he looked her up and down, noticing the guard behind her, pulling her back.

He wanted to walk to her, engulf her into a large hug and never let go, but the guard holding him was just chuckling. He wouldn't let him get to her.

"Please, Mike." She turned around, managing to get out of his grip. He looked down at her, closed his eyes, and sadly shook his head.

"I can't, Gabriella. I'm sorry."

Her throat dried, and she felt as if she was choking on air. She wanted to feel his touch. It always made everything okay.

"I'll come right back-"

"No." He simply said, trying not to let her get the best of him. She nodded, looking down. Would she never be able to feel the warmth of his skin again?

Gabriella was back in the same position as before, being dragged down the hallway to the elevator. The guards with Troy decided it would be funny to make Gabriella wait until they were done with the elevator, so the couple wouldn't be able to see each other. That really pissed Troy off, possibly more than the General and Kristen combined. If he just got them distracted for a moment, he could kick the shit out of them, handcuffs still on.

"What the fuck is that?" Troy motioned toward the large truck in front of him located in the parking lot of the warehouse. The guards chuckled, not bothering to answer.

Troy has seen them in movies, where they transported the deadly criminals, but he's never seen one in person, right in front of him. And he was actually going to go in it. For being a 'traitor.' What the hell could he do that's so deadly that they needed something so..policey..?

"It's your ride."

Troy growled, looking at the truck directly next to it. Of course, he wouldn't be traveling with Gabriella. Figures.

"Will you be joining me?" He asked, doing his best to sound excited.

"Sadly."

Gabriella finally got out of the elevator with Mike after waiting forever, and he brought her to the parking lot, where she saw Troy slowly getting inside a police type truck.

"I'm sorry." Mike repeated behind her. She nodded, but still continued to stare at Troy.

Troy heard footsteps behind him, and he looked to the side, his body freezing when he saw Gabriella across the lot. He couldn't see very well, but he prayed to god she wasn't crying. He didn't want her upset, he didn't want her to think much about what was happening. Which was exactly what she was probably doing.

"I love you!" He shouted loudly, earning a hard push into the van. Both guards rolled their eyes at him, but Troy didn't have a comeback this time, he couldn't even speak. He would never see Gabriella again.

"Fuck..." He muttered to himself, letting a single tear fall down his cheek. He heard the laughter's of the guards, but did his best to ignore it.

"Pussy." One of them mumbled, nudging the other in the arm.

Troy gritted his teeth, looking at both of them. "If I ever get out of this, I will kill you both." He told them seriously, and angrily, they both shut up.

Gabriella heard Troy loud and clear telling her he loved her. She repeated it in her head, trying to get it implanted in her mind. She didn't want to forget the last words he spoke to her, even if she didn't get a chance to say them back. She wished she could've had a chance too, but he knew she loved him. Even if she didn't personally tell him.

"Come on." Mike said, slightly pushing her forward. She started walking and soon they both reached the truck, still next to the other one. God, she wanted to be able to see inside, but they were closed off completely. Just the thought of him inside made her go crazy.

Gabriella climbed into the truck, sitting opposite of Mike on the bench like seat. The doors slammed shut, startling Gabriella. Her ears suddenly became sensitive; in case she could magically hear Troy tell her he loved her again. The voice inside her head of Troy was fading, fast.

"You can cry, you know. " Mike softly told her, a small smile on his face.

And that's exactly what she did. She cried until the tears couldn't possibly escape her eyes anymore. She cried until she had a hard time breathing. She cried until she felt the need to puke. She just cried, not even caring that someone was watching her. She just cried…and cried some more after that.

"Gabriella…"

Gabriella looked up at Mike, her vision blurred from the tears. She must look like a wreck. "Mike…" She sobbed, crying harder. The car started, sending her slightly forward. It only made her want to cry more, now that they were actually getting a move on to the prison. It was almost time where she would spend the rest of her life alone.

"I wish-"

"Please, don't." She told him, feeling her tears seep into her mouth.

"Okay…" He nodded, closing his mouth to stop himself from speaking.

"Can you do me a favor?" She looked at Mike, slightly smiling when he looked back.

He quickly nodded again. "What is it?"

"Can you please tell Taylor and Shar-"

Gabriella was interrupted from continuing by a heavy impact sending the car tumbling over, repeatedly bouncing on the road; the sound of glass shattering echoed outside.

When the car finally came to a halt, landing on its tires, Gabriella groaned loudly, feeling a warm liquid travel down her forehead. She blinked a few times, looking around the damage inside, and gasped silently when she saw Mike unconscious on the bench. He managed to stay in the same spot, whereas Gabriella ended up laying on the floor.

"Mike!" She yelled, squirming on the floor with her hands behind her back. She was surprised she wasn't even dead. And she hoped Mike wasn't either.

"Mik-" She was about to scream out his name, when she heard the doors open and light filled the area, nearly blinding Gabriella.

A figure stepped inside, his feet making a loud sound against the metal floor. Gabriella looked up at the person, gulping loudly.


	15. Reunited

Gabriella stared at the man in front of her, contemplating whether she should trust him or not. She had just been nearly killed, probably by him, and here he was, holding his hand out to her. She didn't know him, so why had he tried to kill her? Or possibly, save her…Could this be an escape plan? Did this mean she didn't have to spend the rest of her life in a prison, alone?

"Who are you?" She asked confidently, her headache fading as she continued to slowly come back into reality.

"I won't hurt you." He simply told her. No name, just 'I won't hurt you.' Oh, that made her feel so much safer. It was great to know he wouldn't hurt her…again.

She was already suffering from shock, and lightheadedness. It was clear she was already hurt.

"Grab my hand." He demanded, stepping closer to her. He extended his hand further, his arm completely covered in black. His whole body seemed to be covered in black, like he was some ninja. She could only make out his brown eyes, almost as dark as the black.

Gabriella felt like she shouldn't grab his hand, like it was better just staying put and waiting until the General sent out more guards. It would make things easier, less trouble she would be in. But…she felt safer with this man around. He looked like he was truly being honest with her, like he wouldn't want to hurt her.

She hesitantly placed her small hand over his larger one, allowing him to lift her off the ground. Shit, she thought to herself. Her head started throbbing, her body become increasingly numb. It was like a blow to the head.

"I got you." He said in a soft voice, wrapping his arm around her waist to hold her. He helped her out of the truck carefully, making sure not to harm her.

Gabriella blinked a few times, looking around her new surroundings. They were now walking on a deserted intersection, no cars present. She gasped when she saw the truck she was placed in before. It was totaled, crushed, completely fucked. It surprised her she actually lived through that. In fact, it surprised her she wasn't that hurt.

Instantly after seeing the crashed car, Gabriella's eyes widened. Where was Troy's vehicle? Where the hell was he?

"Did you find-"

"The guy's fine. Don't worry." He finished for her as he pulled her toward a larger truck with just the front dented in. Another man was in the passenger's seat, the same mask covering his face. Gabriella sighed. Why couldn't they show her who they were?

And why wasn't Troy fucking with her? She needed him. Sure she was overly happy that he was okay, but she wanted to be with him...

Gabriella gulped as she was slightly pushed inside the backseat, another man next to her. She was surrounded. By masked men. Maybe this wasn't such a great idea…

She slowly looked to the side of her, watching as the man next to her nervously tapped his knee with his pointer finger.

Something about his actions reminded her of something, but she couldn't remember. She was too tired to think.

His head whipped to the side, feeling as if eyes were on him. He locked eyes with Gabriella, and much to his surprise, she was getting closer to him.

She could recognize those sea green eyes anywhere…Yet, she couldn't recognize the person.

"Is she alright?" The guy in the passenger's seat asked, twisting his body to face Gabriella and his accomplice.

Gabriella ignored him, still staring into the familiar eyes. Her breath twitched as she got closer, only inches apart from the mask. He was slowly backing away, whipping his head toward the speaker. He shrugged, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Who are you?" Gabriella asked, reaching her hand out to this face. She gently touched the spot that would normally be his cheek and gasped when he grabbed her wrist forcefully.

It wasn't like she was going to lift the mask up, although she desperately wanted to.

"Dude, calm your girl down." The driver said in a laughing tone, keeping his eyes on the road.

Gabriella gulped, trying to get out of the man's grasp. His girl? What the hell did that mean?

He slowly let go of her, pushing her back into her original seat. Gabriella scoffed at him, rubbing her wrist softly. It didn't hurt, it just tingled...giving her an odd feeling.

Before she could speak once again, her eyes automatically closed themselves, sending her into a deep sleep.

* * *

Gabriella woke to joined laughter filling her ears, way too loud for her liking.

"Ugh…" She groaned, immediately placing a hand on her head. It hurt. Just not as much as before.

"Ah, look, she's up."

Gabriella blinked a few times, jerking her head to the voice. There was a man, chuckling silently to himself. He was surrounded by five men, all revealing their faces. Gabriella was shocked to actually see them without a mask on. They looked…normal. Like regular, actual people, dressed in casual clothing. But what else would they look like? Killer robots or some shit?

"Who are you?" She instantly said, protectively wrapping her arms around her body. She looked down, noticing the small couch under her.

"Heroes." He grinned, kneeling down in front of her. He had dark brown short hair, brown eyes, and a very slim face. She guessed he was the man that carried her out of the truck.

"Where's Troy?" She quickly swung her legs over the side, ready to make a run for it.

"Whoa there, you need to sit down. You ain't looking so good." He grabbed her shoulders, steadying her as she swayed to the side. She felt extremely lightheaded again.

"Where's Troy?" She asked again, this time looking behind him as she spoke. Everyone was huddled around a circular table, holding cards in their hands, and most importantly, staring at her.

"He's in the other room-"

"I want to see him." She demanded, slowly lifting herself off the couch. She got into a standing position, the man still holding onto her.

"Listen, I don't thi-"

"Please." She interrupted once again, begging with her eyes. If he wouldn't allow her, she would surely go kung fu on his ass.

He sighed, calmly looking behind him at his friends. One of them nodded, and he looked back at Gabriella, nodding himself.

"Come on." He instructed, carefully dragging her out of the room into a large hallway, doors everywhere in sight. He brought her to the door right next to the one they came out of and knocked once.

"Hold up!" A voice from inside said, and Gabriella sighed immediately. She wanted to hear Troy's voice.

The door opened quickly, revealing a brawny man with short light brown hair that ran into small curls. "What is she doing up?" He asked, stepping forward. Gabriella gulped, slowly walking away.

"She wants to see him."

He looked between the two, narrowing his eyes. He stepped aside, allowing Gabriella to see a full view of the room.

Her heart stopped when she saw a figure sitting up on the couch, their eyes closed.

"Troy!" She squeaked, viciously pushing past the two boys to get into the room. Troy's eyes opened, and they widened in delight.

He quickly stood up, the brightest smile forming on his face. Gabriella was already in front of him when he opened his mouth to speak, her arms snaking around his neck, and her legs wrapping around his waist. She softly cried into the crook of his neck, smiling like a wild woman.

"Brie…" He cooed, kissing her hair repeatedly. There were no words to explain how happy he was to finally touch her, to finally see her. Even if the small bandage on her forehead caused him to cringe… He was just happy to see her alive, and to have her in his arms.

"Troy…" She sobbed, tightening her hold around him. He tried to push her away so he could see her beautiful face, but she wouldn't allow it.

"God…I missed you so much." He whispered in her ear, watching as the two men were smiling at the view. They both nodded, completely walking out and closing the door behind them.

"Let me see you, baby." He said softly, needing to see her.

She reluctantly pulled away, hating that fact that her face was stained with tears.

Troy inhaled her scent, taking a deep breath. "You're so fucking beautiful." He said admiringly before gently joining their lips together.

Gabriella's mind stopped working properly, then. She had no control of her emotions, no control of how happy she was, feeling his kisses again. She longed for this moment, longed to feel his lips against hers. And here she was, finally getting that chance.

She thought the tears would disgust him and make him not want to kiss her, but it only caused him to kiss her more passionately. He hated that she was crying, happy tears or not, he liked to be able to see her gorgeous brown eyes.

"I love you…" He whispered against her mouth, slowly pulling away, breathless.

"I love you." She promptly placed her head into the crook of his neck, resting it there while he lightly caressed her back. She couldn't stop crying, even using all the strength to stop, it wouldn't. The tears just poured out, dropping onto both of them.

Troy couldn't help it either…his eyes were watering.

He thought he'd never see her again.

He thought he'd lost her.

"Baby-"

A knock on the door stopped him from finishing his sentence, memories flooding in his mind. Doors were definitely his number one enemy.

Gabriella pulled back from his neck, staring directly into his eyes. He smiled softly, brushing away a strand of her messy hair away from her face. Messy or not, she was irresistible.

The door opened behind them just as Gabriella set her feet down on the floor, still not letting go of Troy. She grabbed his hand, firmly holding onto it.

"We need you two to follow us." The same man with dark brown hair from before said, an unrecognizable man next to him.

Troy nodded, pulling Gabriella with him as they walked out of the room.

* * *

"You okay?" Troy whispered into Gabriella's ear, gently squeezing her hand.

Gabriella nodded slowly, focusing on the men aligned in front of her. They all sat down around the table, watching the couple.

"How you guys feeling?" The dark brown haired guy asked, a small smile on his face.

Troy sensed Gabriella was nervous, so he shrugged for the both of them. "What the hell is going on?" This was almost like dejavu. They seemed to be held prisoner a lot.

A man in the back laughed, and Troy glared at him.

"I'm Joe." He said, the smile still on his lips.

Troy groaned. He was sick of not getting answers. "Why the fuck are we here?" He looked down at Gabriella, feeling her tremble beside him.

"Troy..." She whispered, looking back at him. He was taking this a little too far.

"I was a spy for Caruso before she decided I wasn't good enough." Joe told them, noticing as they both tensed at the name. "So were all my buddies here." He pointed to the back, motioning toward the five people behind him.

"That's Marc." He nodded his head at the curly haired guy, soon moving over to a blonde haired male. "Ethan,"

Gabriella looked between the two, searching their eyes. None of them had the same shaded green eyes she saw before.

"This is Jason, Zeke, and Ryan."

Troy nodded at them, honestly not caring what their names were. "Exactly why did you try to kill us?" He asked in all honesty.

"Kill you?" The guy named Zeke asked with a small laugh, shaking his head. "We saved you two."

"Oh, so ramming your car into ours is saving us?" Troy growled at them, his eyebrows arching inward.

"How else would we help?" Joe interrupted. "You're alive aren't you? There are no guards around, no prisons…I think that's pretty fair."

Gabriella huffed, ignoring the conversation going on between the men. She couldn't find the green eyes anywhere.

"Are you missing someone?" She blurted out, all eyes now on her.

Jason coughed loudly, earning a glare from Joe. "Uh, actually we're missing two people…They'll be back soon."

Gabriella nodded. It had to be one of them.

"Why did you help us?" Troy asked after looking weirdly at Gabriella, his attention back on Joe.

"Not 'us'." Joe said. "Just Gabriella."

Gabriella looked up, her eye's widening. "What?"

"We got orders to save Gabriella. We had no idea there was going to be another person."

Troy chuckled sarcastically. Oh, wow. So he wasn't even supposed to be helped. "Than-"

"We accidentally hit your truck first, thinking it was Gabriella's. We weren't going to leave you there to die like the guards.. And it's pretty obvious you two…are well…something."

Gabriella squeezed Troy's hand nervously, hating the fact that it could just be here sitting here, without Troy beside her.

"You are something, right?" Ryan asked from behind them, grinning.

Troy rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we're something."

"Nice." Ethan joked, high fiving Ryan.

Gabriella giggled, surprising Troy. He looked at her, searching her face for any sign that it was a sarcastic laugh. It was a real laugh, a laugh he hadn't heard in so long. He grinned, watching as she continued laughing almost as if it were in slow motion.

She looked at him, catching him off guard. A smile was planted on her face, turning brighter when she saw his grin.

She slowly mouthed 'I love you' to him, and he mimicked her with the same emotion.

"Joe!"

Both of them jerked their heads to the side, looking at Joe. He stood up from the chair, quickly walking to the door.

Gabriella recognized that voice…almost like it was her own.

"What's wrong?" Troy asked her, noticing her eyes locked in front of her. She looked like she was in deep thought, very deep thought.

"Troy…" She gasped, immediately recalling whose voice it was.

"Brie, what happened?" He looked at her with a worried expression, waiting for her to answer.

She slowly shook her head, another tear falling down her face.

As if on cue, the door flung open and two figures walked inside.

The world seemed to rotate around her, the room spinning uncontrollably. She had a hard time looking at the person in front of her to confirm her guess.

She was right.

And that's when she felt her heart break.

"Alex?"

* * *

Ah, one of you guessed it, (kinda) and yeah! Sorry, I know there's like a million twists and surprises, but I just love doing that :D There's probably going to be 30, er...or 20 something chapters? After this, they still have to deal with Francisco? Right? Right! Hope you enjoyed :)


	16. Rivalry

They say it's impossible to live when you're heart stops beating, unless you're some immortal; death is the result.

But for Gabriella, she managed to have her heart stop beating and continue to breathe…even if the pattern was a bit off.

"Alex?" She stared in shock, her pupils dilated to its full extent. Troy was sitting down next to her, confusion written all over his face. He met Alex's fist once, just after Gabriella and Alex became inseparable. He never liked the guy much, but because of his death, Gabriella shortly after became a wreck. Another reason to hate him, seeing as he was definitely alive.

"We'll give you some time alone…" Joe softly said, eyeing the rest of the men clustered around the table. He nodded his head toward the slightly open door and they all followed, giving Alex and Gabriella a small smile.

The door slammed shut behind them, the sound loud enough to shock both Troy and the woman, but not Alex and Gabriella. They were both in a trance, never taking their eyes of each other.

"Brooke," Alex said the girl's name, brushing his finger against her palm, but not looking directly at her. She nodded, understanding his actions, and left the room, this time shutting the door softly.

"Troy, right?" His luminous green orbs immediately changed direction, glaring right in Troy's direction. With a simple, stubborn nod from Troy, Alex continued speaking. "Do you mind?"

Troy stared in disbelief, instantly tightening his grip around Gabriella's frigid hand. "Actually, I do."

"Troy…" He heard the small whisper from the side of him, her voice somewhat shaky.

"You can't be serious," He said, his eyes widening as she nodded her head.

"Please…" She breathed, carefully pulling her hand away from his grasp.

He shook his head, gritting his teeth in the process. He wanted nothing more than to stay with her, comfort her from the sudden shock, but it seemed she didn't want him there. Part of him understood, but the other part, the more logical part, didn't want to leave her alone with a supposedly dead guy.

"I love you." She told him, flashing the smallest smile in his direction.

He would've said it if it wasn't for the groan coming from behind him.

The only thing stopping him from _really _killing Alex was the girl in front of him.

"I'll be right outside."

He then left the room after scowling at Alex as Gabriella had her head in her hands.

With a really boisterous slam of the door, Alex sighed, taking a seat in the foldable chair.

"How can you be alive?" She mumbled in a whisper, her head still resting gently in her hold.

"Look at me, Gabriella." He demanded softly, rubbing his upper arm in anxiety.

"I bawled my eyes out every day because of you," She spoke as her head lifted, the tears already falling down her cheeks. "And you weren't even dead?" She shrieked, shaking her head.

"I wanted to tell you-"

He didn't have time to comprehend her moves as she stood up, walking over to him in a saunter. Her hand came into direct contact with his cheek, imprinting her tiny hand into his skin.

"I needed you, Alex! You could've been there!" She stepped backwards, her hand covering her mouth. She wasn't the person to just slap someone and finish off there, it usually ended with a broken bone, or some sort of fracture. But when she saw the mark she left, her insides churned.

"Still as persistent as ever, I see." He laughed sarcastically, pressing two fingers onto the stinging area.

"What happened to you?" She stood there, motionless, her trembling hand still covering her mouth.

"Sit down, will you?" He asked, pointing behind her. She backed up into the couch, planting her butt on the seat.

"The General...She's not who you think she is, Gabriella," He sighed, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. "She tried to kill me."

Gabriella thought her body couldn't take anymore shock, but it suddenly just did. As she sat there lifeless, her lips quivered beneath her hand.

He slowly reached up to his shoulder, pulling the cloth that covered it, off. "She hired someone to shoot me," The scar was jagged, the dark pink line coming out at her like 3-D. "Luckily, the second bullet missed my head."

Alex lifted his shirt back over the wound and opened his mouth to continue speaking. "I watched over you, making sure you were okay. It killed me to see you hurting like that, but Gabriella…I couldn't get close enough to you without the General noticing."

"You should've…" She muttered, slowly licking away the tears that cascaded down her face.

"I know…You don't know how much I wanted too," He sighed. "And then, I found out you were going to prison…"

She immediately wanted to ask how he found out, but her mouth just shut tightly after he answered.

"Kristen, she told me what prison you were going to. I couldn't let you spend the rest of your life there,"

Gabriella's eyes widened even more, if it was possible. "Kristen?"

"Well, of course she didn't tell me on her own will, I had to force her. Since well, she was the one that got you into this mess, right?" He asked, soon after whispering silently to himself. "And Troy…"

Gabriella squinted her eyes in confusion, shaking her head slowly. "Troy didn't do anything wrong, Alex. He's not a traitor."

"How can you be so sure?"

That's when she had enough.

She wasn't going to allow him to bash on Troy, when Troy was the one that made her smile after Alex's 'death'.

"I'm positive he's not." She snapped.

He raised his hands in defense, nodding slowly. "I just don't trust him, Gabi."

"I do."

"But-"

"No." She hissed, sitting back down on the couch. He had no right to talk about Troy. He screwed her up way worse.

"He hurt you once…" He whispered, scratching the back of his neck.

"And you were there to help me through it," He smiled at her, but when she continued, the smile faded. "Except, when you were gone, he was the one to pick up the pieces."

"Are you in love with him?"

That statement reminded her a lot of her conversation with the General, one she didn't entirely like talking about.

"Yes." She simply answered, not taking her eyes off Alex.

Alex was heartbroken hearing those words, but he had to find out the answer; even if he already knew it deep in his mind. He was in love with her. He always has been.

"Don't expect everything to be peachy between us, Alex. You left me hurting, and I know you're a good enough spy to at least find some way to contact me."

"I saved you-"

"And I appreciate that, so much." She said, wiping the last few stray tears off her face. "But that doesn't mean I'm willing to allow you back into my life just yet."

He nodded, agreeing with her. If it was time she wanted, he would give it to her. That didn't change the fact that he hated Troy Bolton with a passion, and would do anything just to have Gabriella to himself.

* * *

"You alright?" Troy asked, quickly closing the door behind him and locking it securely. They were given their own room, complete and utter privacy from the rest.

"I still can't believe it…" She sighed, sitting at the edge of the bed with a frown on her face.

"That he's alive? Or that he rescued you?" Troy asked, unsure. Troy hated to admit it, but he was slightly jealous of Alex. Alex and Gabriella had a bond, one that Troy didn't know if he could compete with.

"Both." She whispered, smiling at Troy as he sat down next to her, extending his arm around her waist.

"Did he tell you what happened to him?" Troy pulled her hand into his, interlacing their fingers tightly together. He honestly didn't want to let her go.

She slowly nodded, too captivated by his eyes to remember what she was going to say.

"And?" He chuckled, watching her stare intently at him.

"He said..."

"Yeah?"

Troy gently squeezed her hand, which quickly brought her back to reality.

"Uhm, he told me the General tried to kill him." She blurted out, surprised at how fast she got to the point.

"Oh, wow." Troy pursed his lips in surprise, wondering why the General would ever want to kill him.

"Yeah, shocking isn't it? She's a cold blooded killer, who likes to send innocent people away." She giggled, shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess we owe it to Alex, for you know…saving us." She smiled, nodding. "Even though I wasn't originally part of the plan…" He added in a whisper, earning a heavy nudge into his side.

"Don't say that, okay? All that matters is you're here, I'm here…We're here together."

"We wouldn't have to be if I hadn't fallen for-"

She silenced him by placing her pointer finger against his lips, lightly tracing them. "Let's not think about that…I think we have more important problems."

"That would be?" He mumbled against her finger, looking down as she moved it toward his jaw.

"We haven't had sex in forever…" She said seductively, sighing dramatically.

"Well, it's a good thing there's a lock." He grinned, winking charmingly. "But if I hear one knock, don't expect me to sto-"

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Then what the hell are we waiting for? Get your cute ass over here."

* * *

"Should we go out there? They knocked a few times." Gabriella whispered, playing with Troy's outline of his muscle on his arm.

"No." He smirked, pulling her naked body closer to his. She could already tell where this was going…again.

"Troy, stop. We need to get out there…"

"We do…but it doesn't mean we should." He brought his finger to her neck, trailing it down her body slowly, yet teasingly.

"Troy…" She whimpered as his fingers traced over her hardened nipple, flicking it playfully.

"Hm?" He grinned, lingering his finger just above her waist.

"I-I…" She stuttered, aching to feel his finger further down.

He chuckled at her reaction, carefully finishing his quest by raising it over her arousal. "You know what? You're right, we should get out there."

With that, he quickly jumped out of the bed before he could get hit by the short tempered girl close by.

"You're such a dick!"

After being continuously slapped in the chest, head, arms, ass, dick, well anything on his body, they both got dressed and made their way out of the room.

"What's up with the silence?" He murmured, looking around the deserted halls. Gabriella pulled his hand closer to her body, shrugging her shoulders.

"Troy." She said, watching as his eyes shifted to hers.

"What's wrong?"

"What are we supposed to do?"

Troy blinked in confusion, his eyebrow slightly rising. "Find them?"

She sighed, shaking her head. "I mean about us…"

His body was now straightened out, preparing for the worst. He gulped. "Us?"

She nodded, looking down. "We probably have people looking for us, Troy…What if we can never leave this place?"

He sighed in relief, taking a deep breath. He never thought about that. "I wish I could tell you, baby."

"I-"

"There you guys are!" A voice echoed from down the hall, the footsteps making a heavy sound against the floor. "I knocked about a million times; I was starting to think you died on me."

"Hi, Joe." Gabriella smiled, instinctively squeezing Troy's head.

"What the hell were you two doing?" He got in front of them, panting a little.

"We, uh-"

"Just taking a nap, we were pretty beat." Troy interrupted, saving the day for Gabriella. He grinned and looked down at her, winking quickly.

"Yeah, okay." Joe chuckled, nodding his head. "Anyways, we're kind of having a meeting about you two, so it would probably be the best to have you guys with us."

The couple nodded, following Joe down the hall into a larger room, the recent faces from before all crowded around a rectangular table.

"There the happy couple is!" Ethan and Ryan both exclaimed in unison, high fiving each other once again. Laughs erupted in the room, except from one person.

And he was sending Troy a heavy death glare, that definitely didn't go un-noticed by him.

"Have a seat," Joe said, motioning them toward two empty chairs. They both sat down, their hands still linked together. Alex was having a hard time looking away from the intertwined fingers.

"So, we should probably tell you guys a bit about ourselves, right?" Joe asked, smiling when Gabriella was the one to nod.

"Well, should I start with myself? Okay, yeah I was going too anyway." Gabriella giggled, watching the brunette in amusement. Little did she know, two men were not paying attention to Joe, only her.

Gabriella learned about each and every one of them, laughing at their jokes, conversing with their stories. They were all ex-spies, and seemed to be good ones at that. So far, she didn't have any complaints. She liked them all, Zeke, Ethan, Jason, Joe, Ryan, and Marc; even the blonde girl that was basically attached to Alex's side.

"Alright, so I just have a question." Alex said in stern, serious voice, his eyes locked on Gabriella. She gulped nervously feeling her body tense.

"What the hell are we supposed to do with two people now? We only planned on one person."

Troy growled in his direction, fighting the urge to get out of his seat and punch him.

"I don't think it's a problem…" Zeke spoke up, noticing the tension between the two boys.

"Well, I think it's a very big problem. This isn't a damn daycare center."

"You know what?" Troy stood up angrily, letting go of Gabriella's hand. "If you have something to say, just fucking say it." He hissed, already getting closer. Alex stood up as well, a grin on his face.

"I'm sure you already know-"

"Stop it!" Gabriella shouted, standing up to get in between the two. She put a hand on Troy's chest, pushing him away from the other fighter. "I don't care if you don't like him Alex, he's not going anywhere. And if you can't accept that, Troy and I will just get out of here."

Alex sighed heavily, but sat back down in a huff, his arms crossed over his chest.

Troy also sat back down, but with a little more class, unlike the guy acting like a little kid. Gabriella pushed his face toward her, so she would be the only one he could see, vice versa. She didn't care if all eyes were on them, she didn't want his face having all those bruises again. He was just clearing up.

"Please, Troy. I'm not asking you to become his best friend, just try to act civil." Both hands were holding his, squeezing them in emphasis. Troy shook his head, staring into her eyes longer than needed.

"Whoa." Ryan and Ethan spoke at the same time once again, their mouths wide open.

"Are we supposed to stay here forever?" Gabriella turned her head, having that thought on her mind for quite a while.

Joe was the first one to speak, acting more like a leader than Alex was supposed to be. "Until we can take down Caruso ourselves."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Troy asked, ignoring the low groan he heard from the side.

"Well, you really don't have to do anything. It's more our problem."

Troy nodded. "Are you going to kill her?"

"Yes." Marc spoke for the first time in a while, looking the most tense at the mention of the Generals name. It seemed everyone here had issues with her.

"So we can't ever leave?"

"Not until she's dead. She's going to have people look for you guys, forever."

"And there's nothing we can do to help? After all, she did screw us over too." Gabriella said, not wanting to sit around all day doing nothing. At least they were spies that knew what they were doing.

"At the moment, you don't need to worry. If we need any help, we'll ask." Brooke told her in a calm, cool voice, almost as if she was trying to sound…smart?

"We won't need help." Alex added in rudely, his attitude still visible.

Troy rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure we'll need it at some point." Joe corrected, smiling. Alex sent him a glare, which Joe, happily declined.

"Anything else you wanna know?" Jason asked, resting his elbows on the table. Jason was the funniest out of the crew, besides Ethan and Ryan together.

"Do you have any food? I'm starving."

Brooke looked at Gabriella, like she was shocked Gabriella wanted food. What was with this girl?

"Actually…We were supposed to get some, today."

"Which we should do right now." Alex stood up, already making his way toward the door.

"Hey, how about we bring Troy with us?" Marc asked, grinning at Alex. It didn't look like he was very fond of him, which made Troy only like Marc more.

"No." Alex said, clenching his fists.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to risk anything."

"Nonsense! " Marc exclaimed, standing up with a smile. "We'll give you a hat, and bam, you'll be fine."

Everyone besides Marc and Troy seemed to have a worried expression on their face, especially Gabriella. Partly because she didn't want Troy leaving her, being in danger, and the other part…Not wanting him with Alex. It couldn't end well.

"I suppose we could bring him," Alex suddenly had a smug smile on his face, one that Troy knew wasn't good. If he was up to something, Troy would be well prepared. "So who else is coming?"

"You, Marc and Troy just go. It's easier with smaller groups." Joe had a bad feeling about the outcome of only having those three go, but work was needed to be done; if they ever wanted to actually kill the General with a bullet proof plan. They couldn't just go right out and shoot her. They needed to be smart about it.

Everyone left the room after agreeing, Gabriella and Troy now alone in their room.

"Please, don't try anything."

"Will you stop that? I won't jeopardize this, Gabriella. I'm not stupid." He said in a deep voice as he placed the gun Joe gave him in his belt loop, bringing the bottom of his white v-neck over it to hide it.

"I know you aren't, Troy…but I actually want you to come back, alive." No, she _needed _him to come back alive.

"Hey," He walked over to the bed where she was seated and knelt down in front of her. "Nothing's going to happen to me, baby."

"Promise?" She sighed, looking down at him. He nodded, leaning up to bring her into a passionate, slow kiss.

She didn't want to detach their lips at any moment, loving the feeling of his tongue exploring her mouth. Gabriella wanted to savor the moment, in case there wasn't going to be another one. She was nervous for him, extremely nervous. It was getting to the point where she wanted to follow him and stay by his side.

"Brie…" He whispered in the kiss, trying to pull back. She tightened her grasp around his arms, and shook her head.

"No…"

He finally managed to pull away from the kiss, even though he didn't want to either. He put both hands on her cheeks and forced her in a way to look at him. "This will not be like before, love. We won't be separated like that, ever again. I'm coming back."

She slowly nodded in his hands. "I love you."

"I love you too, so much." He pressed his lips against hers for a soft, chaste kiss, and walked to the door, looking back once to smile at her.

* * *

The three men got into the black car, Troy seated right in the front next to Alex. Marc insisted they both sit next to each other, making up an excuse that he liked backseats better.

It started to look like Marc liked getting under Alex's skin, even if it kind of meant getting under Troy's. Troy didn't mind as much as Alex, just because he liked to watch Alex squirm. He could be the better man in this.

"I should blindfold you." Alex said, his eyes focused on the driveway that led out of the warehouse-type hide out. It surprised Troy how small the warehouse looked from the outside, but how big it actually was inside. There must be a missing piece somewhere.

"I should punch you." Troy muttered, glancing outside the window. Alex looked to the side of him, scoffing at Troy.

"You should shut that girly mouth of yours, Bolton." He hissed, his hands tensing against the steering wheel.

Fuck this; Troy couldn't be the bigger man. He was getting annoyed.

"How was dying, Alex? Did you actually get to meet the devil?" Alex was starting to remind Troy a lot of a male version of Kristen; even if Gabriella once told him Alex hated Kristen as well.

So far, Troy's enemy list was just expanding hastily.

"I wouldn't know, I was too busy watching Gabriella." Alex smirked.

"You're so fucking lucky I love her, or else I would've-

"So, how about them Lakers?" Marc shouted from behind, tapping both seats loudly.

Troy and Alex groaned, getting back into their silence.

It was going to be a long car ride.


	17. Arguments

Troy was thinking incredibly hard; his brain working at maximum speed to develop some sort of plan.

He had decided – about an hour into the car ride – he wanted to find a way to force Alex's mouth closed.

The bickering, fighting, shouting…it was all getting a little too painful for Troy.

His headache – if even possible – was at its worst. He would need a whole bottle of advil just to get his head to work normally again; which is exactly why coming up with a plan hurt like a mother fucker.

"If you say another word, I will fucking smash your head against the steering wheel." Troy hissed, his hands on either side of his head.

"Oh, you don't like what I have to say, Troy-boy?" Alex asked, satisfaction evident in his tone. It was obvious he was doing this out of pure amusement. Troy would crack, kill Alex, and Gabriella would hate him forever.

It was just a game to see who would be the first one to fuck up.

So far, Troy was losing badly.

"Alex, that's enough." Marc echoed from the backseat, his body slouched over to get a clearer view of the scenery in front. He didn't recognize the road, that was for sure.

"Is it?" Alex more so asked himself than Marc, soon grinning at Troy's reaction. He looked furious.

"You know, I really don't remember you being this annoying." Troy groaned, slowly massaging his aching temples.

Alex chuckled, appeased by his ability to get under Troy's skin. Maybe bringing him along wasn't that bad of an idea.

"Don't say anything, Alex." Marc said.

"Who the fuck are you? My mom?" Alex hissed as he watched Marc roll his eyes from the mirror and flip him off.

"How did your mom even put up with you?" Troy asked, moving his face toward Alex, but keeping his hands pressed against his head.

"Fuck you, Bolton." He growled, focusing his eyes back onto the road.

Troy finally grinned, the first cocky expression to take place on his face in what seemed like ages. Who knew bringing up his mom would get him angry? Well than, time to bring out the 'yo momma' jokes.

"Your mom already did that, don't worry." He mumbled, just loud enough for both men to hear his statement. Marc was trying to suppress a laugh from the back, but not because the joke was hilariously funny. Alex's shocked reaction was enough to bring him into hysterics.

"My mom would never go near that tiny little thing." He said, disgusted, scrunching his face in emphasis.

"How would you know if it's tiny or not?" Troy asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Alex was about to answer back with some smart comment, but Troys loud gasp slightly startled him.

"Do you fucking watch me shower?"

"What the fuck-"

"You do…" Troys mouth formed an o-shape and his hand immediately covered it, as his other hand pointed at Alex. "You're gay?"

"I knew it." Marc muttered from the back, joining in on Troy's taunts.

"That's funny…" Alex laughed sarcastically, quickly slamming his foot against the brake and putting the car in park. He turned to Troy, a smirk slowly creeping onto his face. "Because Gabriella would beg to differ on that one."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Troy hissed, his body already reacting to Alex bringing up Gabriella's name. With Alex, he instantly felt protective over her. It could possibly be jealously, or even a gut feeling.

"You don't know?" Alex tilted his head, frowning slightly. "I thought she would've told you about the time me and her fuc-"

It was too late to finish his sentence.

Troy would definitely not allow him to continue.

Especially not now, not with Troy plunging at Alex, his body flying forward.

It didn't matter that the gear shift was digging into his stomach, or that the tight space was preventing Troy from actually getting a good grip on Alex.

It just mattered that Alex would never get the chance to say what Troy desperately didn't want to hear.

"Troy!" Marc yelled from behind, bending over to the front, grasping onto Troy's – already in motion– arm.

Alex defensively brought both hands in front of him to block Troys fist from coming into contact with his face.

There wasn't much you could accomplish in a small car like this.

Not at all.

* * *

"They should be back by now." Gabriella mumbled, her foot tapping impatiently on the hard wood floor in her small room.

"It hasn't even been that long." Joe answered from the side of her, quickly placing his hand on her knee to stop her feet from creating that annoying noise.

Gabriella looked over at Joe seated beside her and nodded slowly, the worry in her eyes fading over time.

Joe removed his hand, nodding as well. "Besides, the market's pretty far away."

"Far enough to take five hours?"

That's right.

It had been exactly five hours since Gabriella last saw, or even spoke to Troy.

It was bad enough that they were once separated.

Now, it was like it was happening all over again.

"I'm sure they had a hard time deciding what food to get…"

Gabriella giggled softly, a small tear cascading down her pale cheek.

She just couldn't shake off the feeling that Troy was hurt.

And she would continue to feel that until she was reunited with him again.

"They're back!"

Gabriella heard the loud voice from outside the room, causing her to jerk off the couch, her legs moving themselves as she ran out of the room and into the hallway.

She stood there next to the other companions, watching the door in front of her anxiously.

"See? I told you everything was fine." Joe whispered to Gabriella, his arms crossed over his chest proudly.

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully, her eyes never leaving the door.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and in walked an angry Alex, his feet loudly hitting the floor as he brushed past Gabriella. He didn't even seem to acknowledge her presence when he almost knocked her down.

"Or not…" Joe mumbled, instantly stepping forward as Marc and Troy walked in with several large bags.

As soon as Troy saw Gabriella, he let the bags fall to the floor and jogged toward her, quickly engulfing her into his arms.

Gabriella was smiling like an idiot.

She didn't even seem to care that Alex was having some sort of hissy fit, or that he was angry.

She was just ecstatic that Troy was okay. Not even the slightest mark on his face. He looked exactly the same as before. Perfect.

"I love you." He said out of the blue, pulling his head backwards to stare into her eyes.

She was confused by his sudden claim, but nodded softly, giving him a half smile. "I love you too."

"Remember that you said that, okay?"

Gabriella raised her eyebrow, tilting her head in confusion. What did he mean by that?

"Troy!"

Troy closed his eyes, scrunching his face up like someone who was just caught for a crime. It was time.

Time for Gabriella to hear the story.

Time for her to hate him.

"Joe…" Troy mumbled as he turned around to face the frustrated man coming up to the pair. Gabriella stood absolutely still next to Troy, very much confused as before. Actually, even a little more now.

"Are you serious?" Joe groaned, stopping firmly in front of him.

"I take it Marc told you?" Troy asked, feeling the warmth leave his side. He looked to his left, watching as Gabriella shifted her body.

"Told him what?" Gabriella moved away from his embrace, turning her focus on Troy. Troy licked his lips nervously, taking a very long, deep, breath.

"I might have – possibly – got into a little argument with Alex?"

Joe chuckled sarcastically in front of them, shaking his head slowly. "If you call attacking, an argument."

Troy glared at Joe once, before reluctantly turning back to face Gabriella.

Boy…did she look angry.

"What?"

"He's a fucking prick…" Troy mumbled lowly, but just barely loud enough for Gabriella to hear.

"What did you do?"

"You guys should probably talk in private," Joe interrupted their intense staring contest, speaking loudly to get their attention. "Come find me when you're done."

They both nodded their heads, never leaving each other's gaze.

* * *

"You punched him?" Gabriella shrieked, her eyes widening at Troy's finished confession.

"I tried." He muttered, a sly grin creeping on his face at the memory. It instantly wiped off when Gabriella's nostrils flared and her eyebrows arched inward.

"Why?" Gabriella asked.

"He just annoys me." He said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. He needed to make it seem slightly believable. It wasn't exactly a good idea to talk to her about what Alex…stated.

"Troy…" Gabriella sighed, picking up her feet and bringing them forward. She sat down next to him on the bed, pulling his hand into hers. "What's the real reason?"

"There has to be a reason?" He snapped.

Gabriella ignored his tone, rolling her eyes. "Usually."

"Well there isn't one now." He growled, immediately pulling his hand away from her grip. He jumped to his feet, turning around to completely face Gabriella. "I just don't like him."

"That doesn't give you the right to punch him!" Gabriella hissed, clenching her fists in anger. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one.

"Oh, come on! It barely left a fucking mark!"

"That's not the point, Troy! You still tried to hurt him, and he didn't do anything!"

"How the fuck would you know what he did?" Troy gritted his teeth, staring at her eyes as she sent him a death glare that would instantly make any man cringe in fear.

"That's exactly it! I don't know what he did," She sighed, her tensed body loosening. "Why can't you tell me?"

"Did you sleep with him?" Troy blurted out, shocked by hearing his own voice after. He meant to keep that to himself…

"What?" Gabriella asked in shock as well, her lips rising in awe.

Well, might as well get it all out. "Before us…did you sleep with him?"

Gabriella gulped slowly. What the hell did Alex say to him? "Did he tell you that?"

"Just answer the question…" Troy demanded softly, his voice now calm. Gabriella stared into his eyes, looking for any emotion he was hiding. All she could see was hurt…He believed Alex. Why would he ever believe Alex?

"Of course I didn't!" She stood up, walking forward toward him. He backed away slowly, his eyes never leaving her view.

"Were you ever with him?"

If she answered, if she even hesitated to answer…he would know. It was better to just get out the truth now. Rather than continue to keep it from him. "I was hurt, Troy…I needed someone."

Troy nodded, taking a deep breath. He had a feeling there was once something between them, but he never wanted to face it.

"Do you love him?" Troy asked blandly, wincing at the picture it brought into his mind.

"I never did-"

That's all it took for Troy to overcome any sign of regret she may have with Troy, any sign of unhappiness she had with him. He never once questioned their screwed up relationship…that was until Alex came into the picture. He didn't see Gabriella and Alex ever acting more friendly then expected on their little vacation, but he was too stubborn to believe what he saw. They had something once, something that was caused because of Troy. But just hearing Gabriella say she never loved him…it pushed away all the worries Troy had between the three, and it definitely made him forget her ever mentioning them having 'something.'

"I love you." He interrupted, crashing his lips against hers in a desperate attempt to make her know just how much. He needed her to know that everything he has ever done, or will do, is all because he's completely in love with her.

"I love you too…" She moaned in the kiss as Troy took the opportunity to forcefully shove her mouth open with his tongue, not wasting a moment they had together. He was deprived of her all day, so you could probably say he was a little…horny?

Troy lifted her feet off the ground, tightly gripping her exposed thighs to keep his hold onto her. Without hesitation, she easily slid her legs around his waist, groaning softly at the new contact of his bulge pushing against her pelvis.

As she grasped onto his hair to keep her balance, she felt her back harshly colliding against the wall, and let out a loud grunt, which Troy just took as pleasure. The strong need for him was enough to quickly make her forget about the small pain and redirect her to the throbbing sensation just below her waist.

Troy gripped her ass firmly to support her as he pulled his mouth away from her lips, immediately reattaching them to her neck, biting softly as her delicate skin.

"Troy…" She moaned while he moved his lips down to her collarbone, his hands softly rubbing the back of her thighs.

She was in too much of a daze to notice Troy's large hands moving from her legs toward her waist, placing his hands on either side of her stomach inside her shirt. Her fingers gripped tighter onto his hair for stability as he pulled the thin straps of her tank top to the side with his teeth, making sure to linger against every part of her bare skin.

"God, I missed you..." He growled huskily, slowly traveling his hand under her shirt toward her shielded breasts, taunting him with coverage.

"Please…" She whimpered, pleasurably banging her head back against the wall, shutting her eyes tightly in the process. He was always one to tease.

"What do you want?" He grunted, placing his lips just above her cleavage. His fingers were softly tracing her ribs, feeling as she got goose bumps every where he seemed to touch her.

"Just fuck me already," She urged, moving her hand from his hair to place it around his neck. She played with the small hairs below his locks, scratching his skin softly in need.

Troy grinned at her sudden demand, wanting nothing more than to just skip the undressing and head right to the mind blowing sex. But teasing was just so much more fun.

"A little commanding, are we?" He husked near her ear, blowing softly against it. The small moan that escaped her lips just caused him to continue grinning.

"Fuck you…" She mumbled in ecstasy, trying her best to make that sound somewhat rude. It just came out as more of another moan when he cupped her right breast into his large hand.

"Wrong choice of words, baby..." He growled, dropping a fierce kiss against her lips to keep her from responding. He gladly swallowed the loud moan that came from her mouth as he played with her perked nipple, aching for his touch.

"I need you now, Troy…" She told him when he removed his lips, gazing into her eyes. His intention was to tease her for as long as he could, but that completely failed when he caught a glimpse of her shorts riding down, along with her underwear. Just as he thought he was in dominance, she went a pulled that act, not even knowing what she was doing. His dick immediately reacted to the view, throbbing for air. His jeans were suddenly becoming too tight for him to handle.

"Fuck." He groaned, pushing his body further against hers to keep her from falling as he quickly unzipped his jeans and pulled them down, carrying his boxers with them. A loud sigh of relief left his mouth when his erection was free, pressing hard onto Gabriella's thigh.

"Oh my god..." She muttered, opening her eyes to watch as he pulled down both her shorts and panties.

"Jesus, you're so-"

Gabriella cut him off with a harsh kiss, dragging him closer to her, as if she could push his dick into her without any effort. She grunted when the tip of his cock barely touched her.

He slid into her quickly when he heard her discomfort which soon turned into the loudest yet most alluring moan he ever listened too.

Her eyes went wide as he pushed deeper inside of her, creating her head to spin in extreme pleasure.

"Shit…" He said in a hitched voice, pulling away from her lips to place them on the crook of her neck.

Troy gripped onto her waist, allowing him to get better access to a faster, harder pace. Her legs tightened around him, feeling as if how far he was going wasn't enough.

"Faster…" She moaned, grasping onto his t-shirt for something to hold onto.

"I – fuck…" He growled, pulling in and out faster, trying his best not to scream out in the pleasure he was getting from her tight wetness. He definitely didn't want everyone to know what he and Gabriella were doing…

"Troy…I'm gonna-" She didn't get to finish when a soft moan escaped her own mouth, startling her.

"Me too…" He husked, gritting his teeth to stop him from groaning.

Gabriella gasped unexpectedly for air when she felt pleasure ripple throughout her body, her orgasm taking full effect. Before she knew it, Troy was also releasing his juices into Gabriella, breathing heavily after.

"Fuck, I love you." Troy whispered, pulling his sweaty head away from her neck. Gabriella smiled, nodding her head in agreement.

"I love you too."

* * *

Gabriella and Troy sat anxiously on the couch, both staring at Joe and Marc talking to each other on the other side of the room.

"You think they're gonna kick us out?" Troy whispered, moving closer to Gabriella so she could hear.

Gabriella giggled silently, shaking her head. "If anything, just you."

Troy chuckled as well, nudging her softly with his elbow. "Then I'm taking you with me."

"I'm fine with that." She winked, grinning when he wrapped his arm around her side, pulling her protectively against him.

"Good, cause I'm not letting you leave my side."

Gabriella genuinely smiled up at him, nodding brightly. She would want nothing less than to be with him.

"Troy."

Gabriella looked up at the mention of his name, her smile fading when she saw Joe and Marc walk over to them with serious faces.

"What's the verdict, captain?" Troy joked to lighten up the mood, Marc almost instantly grinning. Joe turned to Marc, telling him to stop with his eyes. Marc coughed once, straightening out.

"You and Alex really need to stop this shit."

"Did you tell him that?" Troy asked, rolling his eyes.

"He said he would end it." Marc added in an annoyed voice, ignoring Joe's glare.

"Oh he did, did he?" Troy smirked, shaking his head in disbelief. What a lying sack of shit.

"Yes, he did." Joe said.

"I'm sure he meant something else when he said that..." Troy mumbled nastily, earning a small slap on the arm from Gabriella.

"Is he okay?" Gabriella asked.

"Is he okay?" Troy repeated, pursing his lips. "Who the fuck cares-"

"He's fine." Joe told her, giving her a small smile. "You can see him if you'd like."

"Over my dead body." Troy hissed, standing up and pulling Gabriella with him.

She rolled her eyes, removing her hand from his grip.

"I need to talk to him, Troy."

"So he can feed you a bunch of shitty lies? I don't think so." Troy growled, reaching out for her hand again.

"Troy." She shrilled, shaking her head and moving her hand away. "He needs to hear what I have to say."

"Alone?" Troy questioned. "I'd rather just go with y-"

"No. I have to go alone. It'll be too hard to talk to him when you're hovering over me."

"Gabriella. If he tries-"

Once again, she interrupted, her voice in a more serious tone now. Did he not understand this was to have him leave them the hell alone? She'd begun to get annoyed of Alex's childish ways. He was definitely trying to wreck her and Troy's relationship, something she would not deal with, no matter what.

"I love you."

Troy groaned, feeling defeated. "I love you too…"

Gabriella smiled, walking straight into Troy's arms. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his lips against her cheek.

"When I get back…I'll expect to see you hard and ready for me..." She whispered seductively into his ear, grinning when he immediately pulled back from her. She'd rather have him thinking of something else other than Alex when she was gone.

"Well, off you go then." Troy said, giving her a little shove. Joe and Marc looked at each other confused, watching as Gabriella walked toward the door, giving Troy a little preview of what was to come. She swayed her hips for him, lingering her fingers on the knob of the door.

"Go." Troy hissed, feeling his dick already pulsing.

She winked once before leaving the three boys alone, all mouths slightly gaped open.

"That explains where the noise came from before…" Marc whispered to Joe, just loud enough for Troy to hear.

Troy blinked a few times, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "It was just the…TV…"

Joe nodded his head, suppressing a laugh. "You mean that TV?" Joe pointed out, aiming his finger in front of Troy.

Troy looked to where he was pointing, gulping almost immediately. It was just a dresser…nothing on top, no TV in sight. "Yeah…that TV." Troy smiled to hide his embarrassment, moving backwards awkwardly on the heel of his foot.

"I see."

* * *

Ah, I'm so sorry for the long ass time it took for me to update! I really just had horrible writers block, for both stories I'm doing. So Prophet will probably be updated sometime next week... ;( Sorry. I'm trying, lol. Anywayyyy...how'd you guys like it? I seriously have so many ideas for this story. It's like, endless. Hope you don't mind 30 something chapters? Mhm, mhm. Alright, I'm gonna get working on the next chapter. So review? Thanks! :)


	18. Obessions

"Alex!" Gabriella growled as she furiously knocked on his closed door. After about knocking one hundred times, he had yet to open the damn door. It was seriously aggravating her. "Alex! Dammit!"

She pounded her fist one last time, wincing a bit at the small pain flowing through her hand. "Well, fuck you then…" Gabriella mumbled, pushing her ear against the wood. It was literally…nothing?

Where the hell did he go?

* * *

"Knock, knock!"

Troy's head jerked up at the pitchy voice coming from outside his door, immediately bringing him out of his conserved thoughts. It reminded him a lot of someone, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. Not many women had that aching tone as far as Troy was concerned of.

He ignored her constant humming and jumped off the bed, carrying his feet toward the door. With one twist of the knob, he opened it up, revealing…Becky? No…Brittney? What the hell was her name?

"Uh, hi."

The blonde haired Barbie smiled, her bright teeth nearly blinding Troy. "How are you feeling, Troy?"

Troy smiled back to hide his annoyance, trying his best to seem somewhat thankful for her concern. "Fine, thanks…" Shit, now was the time to remember her name.

Her smile soon faded when she noticed his intention wasn't to finish his statement off there. Way to make a good impression on him, she thought. "Brooke."

Troy nodded, grinning charmingly. "Right, Brooke, thanks."

She shook her head a little to try and forget that awkward moment. "Anyway…Joe wanted me to get you-"

"Is everything okay?" Troy asked, leaning his body on the doorframe to keep his balance.

"Of course, he just wanted to…well talk? Boy stuff probably? I wouldn't know." She giggled flirtatiously and Troy could've sworn he saw her twirl her needle-straight hair in her finger.

Troy laughed blankly, adding in a few verbal ha's. She was really making this weird for him. "Shall we go then?"

"Oh, right! Follow me."

This really didn't do justice to clear all the stereotypes about blondes.

* * *

Gabriella was sick of standing, waiting for someone to open the door, when clearly no one was inside. She had two options; look around for him, or just put her spy techniques to use.

And she had to think fast.

She could already hear the faint sound of voices coming from the opposite end of the hallway.

Without much thought, she turned the knob, shocked to see as the door just completely opened. The door wasn't even locked this whole time! Way to go Gabriella, way to go.

Jogging inside quickly, she closed to the door behind her, staring intently at the lock. Should she bother to lock it? Or would that make her seem…like some intruder?

She was certainly not going to risk it.

Gabriella locked the door, still contemplating whether or not that was the right idea. What if he was in the shower or something? He would think she _wanted_ to be locked inside with him. Ha, no.

Usually you hear water running from showers, she thought, glancing around the miniature room with the bathroom door closed shut.

Pushing the thought aside, she walked further into the room, not putting all her weight on both feet. Number one rule; always be sneaky. In this case, she had to be very sneaky.

Although, she wasn't entirely sure what she was doing at the moment…Originally she just wanted to talk to him. But knowing he wasn't in the room, it just made her want to…take a look around.

Something brought Gabriella out of her trance; a glaring, metal object placed carefully on top of the dresser next to his bed. She walked closer, squinting her eyes as if to get a better view.

A bright smile appeared on her face as she came into a closer view, the object completely standing out to her. It was indeed a metal frame, a rectangular picture placed inside. Cautiously, she picked up the frame, bringing it in front of her face.

The picture was of her and Alex, a few weeks before he left her life. They were both staring straight into the camera, the biggest and goofiest grins on their faces.

She gently traced her fingers over the covered photo, sadly smiling at the memory. She missed being close to Alex, spending every waking moment with him. She didn't have that type of relationship with him, and she never would…she still wished to just have one day of hanging out with him, again. One without drama and fighting, and one where she wasn't stuck in this hide out. She missed her old life…but she couldn't give it up, not with Troy now in the picture. Not with Troy now her main priority in life.

"Let me just get him."

Gabriella flinched in surprise at the voice, dropping the frame in the process.

Someone was coming.

"Fuck." Gabriella mumbled, dropping down to her knees. She picked up the frame, sighing in relief that it wasn't smashed into pieces.

She roamed the floor for the back, finding it lying just below his bed. Gabriella grabbed it as she picked up the other piece, pushing them tightly back into place. With time running out, she quickly set it on the dresser, taking a deep breath.

The doorknob twisting, but failing to open, scared the shit out of her. She didn't have any time to get out of this one.

Think, Gabriella…What would you do in a serious case like this? What the hell was she thinking? This was a very serious case.

She silently slid under the bed, squirming just to get her full body under.

"Alex, man, open up."

Gabriella obviously hadn't been with all the people for that long, but she was smart enough to recognize their voices. And this, this was Jason's… Alex's very good friend.

She closed her mouth tightly to keep her breathing at a minimum so it wasn't loud enough for anyone to hear. As her head turned to the side to get herself more comfortable, she squinted her eyes once again, seeing as something was placed on the floor…that definitely wasn't there a moment ago.

She reached her hand out, pulling the object into her grasp.

"Get the key man,"

Gabriella's eyes widened and she closed her eyes, muttering curse words to herself. She was screwed.

She placed the object, which seemed to be some sort of paper, on her chest, moving her hands to the side so she could be completely still. This was the moment she needed to act as if she were dead.

"What the fuck…" She couldn't help but let out her thoughts, ignoring if it was too loud or not. When she glanced down at her chest, just before she was about to close her eyes, she noticed the small piece of paper was in fact another photo.

Of her and Troy naked against her apartment wall, in a very...intimate moment.

* * *

"Bye Brooke." Troy said as she walked away, giving him a flirty smile before she disappeared. He rolled his eyes, knocking once on Joe's door.

When it opened, Joe stood there with the angriest looking expression Troy had ever seen.

"What the fuck got into you?" Troy asked.

"The General," Joe sneered, walking back into the room with his shoulders slumped. He sat down on the bed, creating a very loud thump.

"What happened?" Troy followed, quickly closing the door behind them. He was very much anxious to hear about this one. Their 'plan' to take out the General, was one Troy desperately wanted to know. He could tell them right away if it would work. They just didn't seem to trust him.

"We're always a step behind…" Joe muttered, running his hand over his mouth in frustration.

"What happened?" Troy repeated with a little more force.

"We had a chance to get her…to prove that she tried to kill Alex. But she fucking cleaned it up…all evidence..."

Troy sighed. Maybe if he explained what the hell was going on, he could help.

"How?"

"I don't fucking know!" Joe snapped, standing up in an angry position.

"How the fuck could you not know?" Troy growled, angrily shaking his head.

"I can't tell you…" Joe mumbled.

"Then why even bring me in here?" Troy asked, his anger subsiding. Now he was just plain confused.

"I need your help…"

"But you can't tell me what's going on?"

"Not exactly." Joe said.

"Cut the fucking shit, man. What the fuck could I possibly do that would ruin everything?" Troy questioned, gritting his teeth. Joe sighed and slightly looked down. "Did Alex tell you not to tell me? What the fuck makes him so godly like? He's just a guy. One that shouldn't intimidate you-"

"He's like my brother, Troy."

"Yeah? And Gabriella is my life. I wanna be able to protect her. I _need_ to be able to protect her…" Troy said, frowning. "I can't fucking do that when I don't know what's going on, dude."

Joe sighed loudly, catching Troy's attention. "He won't let anything happen to her, I promise you that. None of us will."

"That isn't your job." Troy hissed immediately. Of course, he was grateful that everyone wanted to protect Gabriella…but Troy could do that fine by himself.

"Troy, listen to me. I know what's going on between you, Alex, and Gabriella…And I think he's being a fucking idiot. But he's not crazy. He's not obsessed. He can protect Gabriella with you, and manage to keep his feeling in check. Trust me, okay?"

That's what Troy didn't know how to do. Trust.

* * *

Why the fuck did Alex have this picture?

Was he some fucking crazy stalker?

What the fuck was going on?

And why couldn't she stop saying fuck?

Gabriella inhaled and exhaled deeply as she stuffed the photo in her bra. Why would anyone in their right mind take a picture like this?

"Gabriella?"

Gabriella's heart stopped beating at the same time her breathing stopped. When did anyone even open the door?

"Hi Marc…" She gave him a small smile, watching as he stared at her in confusion.

"What are you doing under the bed?"

"I was waiting for Alex."

"Oh…" Marc nodded, grinning a bit. "Maybe you should come out of there before he gets back."

Gabriella nodded as well. "Yeah…"

* * *

"So, wanna tell me why you locked the door?" Marc asked her when they were all alone in the hallway, stopping to hear her explanation.

"I didn't mean to…"

"You know, the top of the bed is a lot more comfortable."

Gabriella huffed, realizing any alibi wouldn't get her out of this one.

"I heard someone coming, I panicked." Well…that wasn't completely a lie.

"Right…" Marc smirked. "I guess you didn't get to talk to him?"

Gabriella shook her head. "Do you know where he is?"

"If I knew, I wouldn't have broken into his room…like someone." He joked, earning a light giggle from Gabriella.

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Nah, why would I? He'll probably find some way to blame it on me."

"Why don't you like him?" Gabriella asked in full curiosity as she started to walk forward a little more.

"Long story…Maybe I'll tell you later."

Gabriella nodded, smiling. "Can't wait."

* * *

Troy lied down in the bed impatiently, shaking his head at the memory of before. Joe never actually told him why he wanted Troy's help. It could possibly be because Troy left the room right after Joe talked about Alex…but it didn't matter. He didn't trust anyone here. And apparently, no one trusted him.

"Troy?"

Troy looked up slowly, smiling when he saw Gabriella opening the door. When it fully opened, she stared intently at him.

"What's wrong, babe?"

Gabriella frowned, slamming the door shut behind her. Troy quickly rose to his foot, running at her with both hands extended. When he reached her, he placed his hands on her arms.

"Brie, what happened?"

Gabriella sighed, pointing directly at her cleavage.

Troy looked down at her confused, tilting his head slightly. "Your…boobs?"

"No, Troy!" She shrieked, wiggling her arm free out of his grasp. She grabbed the picture that was neatly tucked in her bra and shoved it at him. "Look at it."

Troy hesitantly took the picture in his hand and looked down at it, a loud growl soon escaping his mouth. "What the fuck is this shit?"

"Alex wasn't in his room…and I found it…"

"This was his?" Troy crumpled the picture angrily, clenching his fist over the balled material.

She slowly nodded, gulping. "Why would he take this?"

"We have to get out of here, Gabriella…" Troy muttered, already aiming toward the door.

"Where would we go, Troy?" She whispered.

"I don't know, Brie…We just need to go."

"Where are you two going, exactly?"

Both Troy and Gabriella's heads jerked to the now open door, Gabriella's eyes widening when she saw Alex standing there.

"I'm going to fucking kill you." Troy hissed.

"Troy, no!" Gabriella shouted, but it was already too late. Troy was charging at Alex, his fist extended and ready to hit.


	19. Confusion

Before Troy had managed to knock Alex onto the ground, back first, that picture was constantly flashing in his mind. He hadn't been aware – obviously – that someone, and that someone being Alex, was watching them in her apartment…It seemed everyone was out to get them at one point; The General, Alex, Kristen, and that damn old lady. Had more people been in her apartment than him? Because it was definitely starting to feel like that.

"Troy, stop!"

It was almost a little buzz going through his ears and back out, never processing through his head. He wasn't sure why he chose to ignore Gabriella's pleas, but he did. He never answered back, he never listened.

He only knelt down in front of the chuckling Alex holding his nose as the blood seeps through his fingers, and sneered.

"Are you fucking sick?" Troy growled.

With one swift movement, Alex was already positioning himself in a sitting position, his chuckles becoming increasingly louder with Troys anger.

"You call that a hit?" Alex mumbled.

Gabriella quickly ran to Troy's side at the comment and grasped hard onto his arm, jerking him forward onto the ground.

"Troy, stop it." She hissed, yanking his shirt and pulling him away as if he were some child. He wasn't heavy, but Gabriella wasn't particularly on the strong side.

She let out a small grunt and helped him pick himself up off the ground.

"Me, stop? You can't be serious Gabriella. You know what-"

"I know, Troy." She said, huffing. "But for once, can you not resort to violence?"

"Do my words sound threatening to you?" He growled again.

From behind, Alex watched with a smirk that was only hidden with his hand. He didn't know what the hell was going on, but he didn't care. Gabriella and Troy were arguing, it didn't matter over what, it just mattered that they were. The stinging pain in his nose could not turn this into a bad situation.

"So how about you let me handle it?" She demanded more than asked, which he was definitely not in favor of. How could she basically defend this guy? He was a sick, crazy, fucked, obsessed, psycho.

Although Gabriella was trying to take a stand with her bravery, he still wasn't going to budge. If she didn't like violence, than she could get the hell out of the room and let him continue.

"You're not going near him," Troy snapped, his hand pushed against her chest as she slightly slid backwards.

Just as she was about to respond, the loud, obnoxious voice of Alex was heard from behind them.

"And why exactly is she not allowed to go near me?" He asked.

That was all it took to remind Troy of the previous events and get him even more riled out. It just proved this guy could have much more creepy shit hiding somewhere.

Troy growled through his gritted teeth and turned his body away from Gabriella, already charging back into his direction. When he heard a loud groan from Gabriella, he decided he would play it cool for a bit and stand directly…five feet away. Hey, it was better than nothing.

"Because you're fucking insane, Alex." Troy grabbed the crumpled piece of paper off the floor that he dropped and shoved it in Alex's direction, his long arm extending enough so he didn't have to get closer.

Alex didn't even have to open it to know what it was, nor did he have to explain. It was hidden for a reason, one they didn't need to know.

So, all he did was roll his eyes.

"What?" Troy snarled. "You gonna tell me it isn't yours?"

He shrugged his shoulders, perfectly aiming and throwing the picture back onto the bed.

"It's really none of your business."

Troy, very loudly, coughed onto the warm air, his throat already tightening at that response. He couldn't be serious?

"What?" Gabriella gasped. "None of his business?"

She stepped in front of Troy so she was between them, her small petite body framed in the middle. Alex was tall, so that only left her with looking up into his eyes as Troy gripped onto her waist protectively.

"No, it isn't." He answered simply.

Gabriella's eyes furiously glared at him, her body rumbling in anger. She shook her head and opened her mouth to speak. "Last time I checked, it was a picture of Troy and I – naked – you fucking pervert. So I think it's entirely his business."

Alex raised his eyebrow, stepping away from the tempered girl he dearly loved. "I'm not a pervert, Gabi."

Troy hissed at the nickname, but Gabriella placed her right hand over his, squeezing it once for him to stand back.

"Then why do you have it?"

The blood that was slowly dripping from his nose, trailed down to his lips as he spoke, causing Gabriella to wince at the sight. As much as she hated to admit it, he deserved that punch. Not just for the picture, but for everything he had done.

"It reminds me," Alex sighed, taking a deep breath. "It reminds me that I can't have you."

Troy laughed. "How can that possibly help you move on?" He asked half serious, half confused. Was this guy just totally crazy…or?

Alex shook his head. "It doesn't help me move on. It's just an indication that after you're gone, that will be me-"

With another blow to the nose, Alex didn't have much time to continue his sentence. He almost forgot Gabriella was in the room, and that she was as furious as Troy.

"Fuck you, Alex." Gabriella shook her hand from the contact, her hand aching a bit from his edgy nose that slightly pushed against it.

Troy stared wide eye-d at Gabriella, happy to be the other guy at the moment. He felt her punches, and trust him…for a girl, she could punch.

"Let's go, Troy." Gabriella nodded toward the door as they both walked past Alex, his hand once again connected to his nose.

She didn't know where they would go, how they would get by, or what they would do…but they couldn't stay here. _She _couldn't stay here. She didn't want to be fought over like this, especially when one side – her ex-closest friend – was basically obsessed with winning her. She had already been won, by Troy, and she needed him alive to actually keep the relationship going.

The way he told Troy that he would be 'gone' made her nervous and angry as hell. Troy was not going anywhere. Fuck that.

Troy grabbed onto Gabriella's arm, pulling her slowly next to him as they made their way down the deserted hallway. He knew Alex was fucked up, but boy…he never knew it was this bad.

"Hi!"

Troy turned around with Gabriella to meet the voice, his eyes widening when he saw Brooke standing there with a bright smile, the rest of the crew crowded behind her, even Alex with his bloody face. The only one that seemed to be missing was…Marc.

"Gabriella…stay behind me," Troy commanded, instinctively pushing Gabriella behind him but not letting go of her hand as she interlaced their fingers together nervously.

"We really appreciate everything you've done for us, guys…but I seriously think it's time we get going-"

"Why would you ever want to go?" Brooke perked up, her two fingers tapping confusingly on her chin.

Troy bit down on his bottom lip. "We have our reasons." After each word came out of his mouth, he carefully pushed Gabriella further behind him, following her.

"Sorry Troy, but I really can't allow you to leave. It's dangerous out there. The General could get to you anytime," Alex sighed, stepping in front of Brooke.

Translation; you're taking Gabriella with you, and now I won't be able to obsessively stare and wish she were mine.

Suddenly, Joe appeared out of the crowd, a frown on his face. "We're close to getting her, Troy. So close."

Troy rolled his eyes. "That's funny, cuz I remember you telling me how screwed you were."

Gabriella gulped and squeezed Troy's hand harder. They could easily take out the both of them. After all, they were originally spies as well. No matter how good she was, she didn't know if she was good enough to fight everyone here when her main concern would be making sure Troy doesn't get hurt. He could handle himself, she just didn't know if he could with Alex.

"No, Troy, I found another way." He smiled.

The smile sort of creeped Troy out. He felt like he was in the Rocky Horror Picture show or something. Everyone was so giddy…and crazed.

Were these fuckers robots?

"Good luck on that." Troy said.

"You see why you can't leave?" Brooke asked with another _very _large smile.

"Actually," Troy backed away a little faster this time. "I think this is all too complicated for us. I mean, we don't even know your plan? So how about you just finish the General off yourselves, and we'll be on our way."

"Maybe _you_ should just be on your way." Alex hissed. Gabriella flinched in response. "After all, you are the traitor and the cause for all of this mayhem."

"He's not." Gabriella mumbled behind Troy, honestly not caring if anyone heard. She just needed to say it, to remind Troy and herself. Troy wouldn't betray the General, his friends...Gabriella.

Troy swallowed the lump in his throat that had started to form. "I'm not going anywhere without Gabriella."

"Then you both stay." Joe told him.

Alex still didn't want it.

"Alex…" Brooke muttered, pulling Alex back as he started walking to Troy. A fight was not how this was going to break out.

Troy watched Brooke and Alex closely, observing the way he immediately stayed put after she grabbed him. She was a lot like Gabriella, always stepping in to save the day. Gabriella could probably get along with her if their whole situation wasn't screwed right now. Too bad Brooke seemed to have Alex on her mind at all times. She was probably in love with him, doing whatever it took to get him to realize, even if he was in love with another woman-

That's when Troy's heart seemed to stop beating.

When he realized something that should've made sense from the beginning.

He recognized the voice, the hair, the giggle, the situation…

He just couldn't make it out.

And now he could.

Now, it made perfect sense.

"Gabriella, run." Troy whispered, already turning around to start.

Gabriella was shocked by his sudden demand, but listened, running with him down the hall until they abruptly stopped at the end, a figure standing in front of them with a gun in hand.

"Marc…please..." Gabriella sighed. Was there no one they could trust?

Marc lifted his gun, motioning his head toward the group of people closing in on them. Troy growled, pulling Gabriella closer.

"Marcy, Marc, I was wondering where you were." Alex grinned as he walked closer with everyone behind him, following.

Troy scoffed. Marc didn't like Alex, but he would just listen to him like this? What the fuck is up with all these people?

Then, Marc didn't the most unexpected thing Troy had ever witnessed.

He aimed the gun at Alex, stepped in front of Troy and Gabriella, gave Troy his key, and told him to get to the car.

Before Troy could even respond, Marc had already moved the gun to face the ceiling and shot, startling everyone in the process.

"Go!" He shouted.

That was the last they heard until they were off, running like cheetahs for their lives.

* * *

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." Troy groaned as he jammed the car key into the slot, continuing to mumble that one word.

Gabriella quickly buckled herself up and stared at Troy with confusion, fright, and worry.

"Troy…why did you tell me to run?" She whispered just as Troy started the car, his foot pressing hard onto the brake. The garage door came off with a bang, denting the car in the front.

Gabriella nearly had a heart attack at his sudden action.

And when he didn't answer, she just asked again.

"Gabriella, will you please just be quiet for a second? I need to just process all the shit that just managed to just happen, in my head."

He drove the car until a large scream was heard and harshly pressed his foot onto the brake. Both Troy and Gabriella looked behind them, their eyes widening when they saw Marc running at the car…with Joe.

Once they reached the car, Troy unlocked the doors, not really giving a shit who was on their side anymore. Even though, it possibly seemed like Marc was? If there even were sides…

"Keep driving straight," Marc demanded once they were fastened in the car, Joe panting loudly next to him.

"What the hell is going on?" Gabriella angrily asked no one in particular, although she was sure Troy didn't know what was going on.

Joe let out a heavy sigh, his hand on his stomach to help him breathe. "I don't think it's a good idea to tell you in the car…"

"What?" Troy asked looking in the mirror at both, his eyes squinting to see their reaction on their faces.

"Just keep driving and I'll tell you when to stop." Marc told Troy.

Gabriella clenched her fist and muttered a few curse words to herself.

What the fuck was happening?

* * *

Whoa, so many questions you probably have, right? Is anyone confused? Cause I'm sort of confused myself, LOL. Every answer...everything you've been wondering from the start will be answered next chapter. So stay put, cause it's gonna be a big filler, and possibly a shocker. Then it just takes off from there with my favorite people & a few familiar faces ;)


	20. Explanations

After 20 minutes of driving in circles, Marc had finally directed Troy into the right place; the cheapest motel they were able to find. He told Troy and Gabriella it was for safety reasons, and early tomorrow morning, they would leave for a better, more comfortable place. Still, Troy was reluctant to spend the night with the two men that were linked to Alex; especially after the previous events.

"Troy?" Gabriella whispered, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck as they sat on the bed; waiting for Marc and Joe to finish talking quietly to each other.

Troy looked down, his eyebrows lifting. He silently whispered back, in case it would disrupt a conversation taking place. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Should we trust them?" She sighed against his skin, creating the warmth feeling he hadn't felt in days. If only it wasn't under these circumstances.

"What choice do we have?" He shrugged. "They're all we got at the moment."

Gabriella nodded. "I just…I never expected Alex to turn out like this, so who knows what they're going to end up doing?" She sniffed, suddenly remembering how much she cared for Alex at a point in her life. What a shame he became so messed up.

"If anything happens," He lifted her chin so her eyes were locked onto his "I will not let them anywhere near you."

She nodded slowly, her lips tugging up into a small smile. He smiled back, placing a quick peck on her lips before they pulled away, Joe and Marc staring at them with unreadable expressions.

"First, we just want to say how truly sorry we are for bringing you into this mess." Joe apologized.

Troy's eyebrows furrowed. "This is coming from the person that was basically Alex's slave?" He scowled.

Joe opened his mouth to speak, but Marc quickly lifted his hand up in a halt. "He's an idiot, he knows that."

Troy nodded. "Now, skip all the sorry shit…just tell me what's going on."

Joe took a deep breath before letting it all out. "We may have lied to you, Troy."

Gabriella gasped silently, her gaze on Joe revealing her fright. Joe sighed, indicating Troy's wordless response as a way to continue.

"You see…we aren't – weren't – working with The General."

Troy couldn't possibly be any more confused. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

Marc bit his lip nervously, scratching the back of his neck as well. "We work with Francisco,"

Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat as Troy started coughing loudly, his mind whirling with confusion and shock. Gabriella was feeling the same, only she was frozen in a trance, not able to move, not able to think. Had he really just told them he worked for _Francisco_?

Joe quickly added in another statement before either one could freak out. "Sorry, correction, we _did_ work with Francisco. That was until we found out about a side project he had going on. Then we just sort of left,"

"How could you lie about something like this?" Troy asked, wide eyed.

Marc frowned. "I hate to admit it, but Alex was the one that asked us to lie. That fucker got us into a lot of shit with Fran-"

"Alex knew Francisco?" Gabriella murmured softly, her shock still evident in her voice.

Chuckling quietly, Marc let out a grunt. "Knew him? Alex was like his prodigy."

What the fuck was he saying? Troy couldn't quite make it out over the loud screaming going on inside his head, telling him he was a fucking idiot for not seeing this in the first place. It made sense, a whole lot of sense. Why The General wanted to kill him, why she thought Troy was a traitor…it just, made sense.

"W-What?" Gabriella stuttered.

"Alex was working for The General, the same time he was working with Francisco." Joe said. "The thing is, he was more for Francisco's side then yours."

Marc nodded. "Every single person you met back there, they all worked for Francisco. Minus myself, everyone's been working with him in the mean time. So I guess you can say they really did want to take down The General, just not for the reasons why we told you."

"Is that why you wouldn't tell me the plan?" Troy asked.

Joe nodded as well. "I wasn't actually filled in on the whole plan. I was a 'liability' – so Alex said."

"How?"

"I had my doubts." Joe told him.

Troy nodded, opening his mouth to speak, but Gabriella coughed, instigating all eyes on her.

"Why did he help us, then?" She asked softly, though she wanted it to come out rude, hurtful, furiously.

"He loves you."

Troy groaned, Gabriella grabbing his hand to soothe him. She rubbed the back of his hand with the pad of her thumb and mumbled a silent 'sh' to him.

"How come Francisco wanted The General dead?" She wasn't stupid. It was obvious.

Marc shrugged, but Joe bit his lip.

"Do you know?" She asked.

Marc looked over at Joe, his eyebrow lifting. He nodded, egging him to say something.

"I just heard they had some personal issues, but I don't know the full story. Alex probably does."

Gabriella scoffed, as did Troy. "That doesn't help much." She sighed.

"You know Alex is going to be looking for us, right? Now it's really not safe for you – from The General, or Alex." Marc said.

Troy rolled his eyes. "No fucking duh."

Marc hissed. "It's funny actually…" He laughed. "The General thinks you're the traitor, when really Alex was…it's like she has a million little haters inside her own fan base."

Gabriella tilted her head in confusion. "How could he find out about the mission?"

"I'm sure he got into your apartment somehow." Joe added in.

Troy growled, remembering the clear image of the picture Alex had in his mind. If he got that, what else did he get?

Gabriella shook her head. "Of course…" She sighed, a thought quickly popping into her head. "But he wasn't anywhere near Troy's apartment? How would he know about all of the papers I gave him to hold that Kriste-"

Gabriella stopped, her mouth gaping open. "Is Kristen working with Francisco?" She quickly asked.

"Kristen?" Marc asked, his eyes showing something familiar. "Brookes sister?"

And that is what Troy had realized only minutes before they escaped that hell hole. He meant to tell Gabriella, it just sort of slipped his mind. But now that she knew, now that it was confirmed…he felt like a fucking detective. A bad detective, but it would have to work for now.

"Oh my god." Gabriella mumbled. "Is everyone working for Francisco?"

Marc grinned. "You guys aren't."

Troy wanted to laugh, or something that showed that he thought it was funny, but he couldn't. "Which is still why I don't understand what made you want to help us."

"Alex was getting out of hand, Troy. He took it a little too far with rescuing Gabriella, and then you." Marc said shortly after. "But we didn't say anything. We just let him continue to work out a plot to take down The General, even if I wasn't particularly favoring Francisco's side. I don't like Alex, but that didn't mean I would rat him out to some people I just met." He sighed. "Then I got to know you two, and well…I couldn't do it anymore. I told Francisco and Alex I would stop helping with the plan, and you know what? They said fine, Alex said fine, it was all fine. But that didn't mean he forgot to tell me that if I said something to you guys, he would kill me. And I knew at that moment, he was turning mental."

Joe patted Marc on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile. "I didn't tell anyone what Alex said, just because I was anxious to see where this would lead to. Then it got to a point where I had to, and I told Joe here." Marc grinned. "He was basically the only one I trusted, even though he was pretty close to Alex."

Joe nodded. "It kind of left off from there." He said.

"Oh, and when Alex told everyone you two were leaving…that's when Joe realized he was fucking crazy. Seriously man, I've never been so scared of him in my entire life." Marc chuckled.

"Marc pulled me aside, told me the plan, and we saved the fucking day." They both nodded in approval and kept their grins plastered to their faces.

"You got out pretty easy." Troy told them after he took it all in, the whole god damn story.

"We didn't fight, just ran." Marc said, somewhat childishly.

"So what now?" Gabriella asked, glancing away from Troy and back to the two men. "We just sit around, hiding?"

Marc and Joe both shook their heads. "Actually, we were thinking we could help you take down Francisco. We had enough of his bullshit."

"And that could clear your name, Troy." Joe said.

Troy nodded. "Would taking down Alex be included in this?"

Marc chuckled. "I'll help you kill the son of a bitch."

Two hours later, Troy and Gabriella were sprawled out on the bed, Gabriella resting against Troy's body with one hand wrapped around his waist, the other locked in his hair. Marc and Joe had gotten separate rooms, promising that tomorrow morning they would answer anymore questions and begin their own little plan to take down Francisco and Alex.

Troy asked Gabriella numerous times if she was okay with all of this, due to her history with Alex, but the only answer she could muse was a simple yes. There was all truth behind it, not a bit of lying. She couldn't help but feel guilty that she wanted him dead. They had been best friends, and now nothing but enemies. He may have thought he was still in love with her, but she wanted nothing to do with him. He lied to her since the beginning, tricking her with his little mind games. No wonder Troy why never liked him.

"Brie?"

Gabriella looked up at hearing the nickname, one she hadn't heard in a while. She smiled, trailing her hand down to his cheek and brushing her thumb along his skin.

"I'm fine with it Troy, I promise. " She told him for the millionth time, extremely flattered at his concern, even though he was getting a bit overboard with the question.

"Francisco, too?" Troy asked.

Gabriella nodded, placing a small kiss on his covered chest. "Remember our little plan to take him down by ourselves? I have a feeling if we ever proceeded with that we would've been killed on the spot."

Troy chuckled, nodding his head in agreement. "Well, we didn't know that half the world worked for him."

Gabriella giggled softly. "Do you think our friends are okay?" She suddenly asked, her laughter now a distant memory.

Troy placed his hand over hers, patting it once before intertwining their fingers. "I'm sure they're fine. Chad can calm your girls down."

Gabriella nodded, still in doubt. "What if The General did something to them?"

Troy sighed. "Then, after we prove our innocence and beg for forgiveness from her, we help them."

Gabriella nodded once more. "I just can't believe this is all happening to us, you know? One minute we were practically ripping each other's throats out, the next we we're fucking against my fridge, and now…we're depending on two spies that work for the opposite team, to help us out of this mess."

"Our lives really are fucked, aren't they?" Troy chuckled.

Gabriella laughed in disbelief, adding a little giggle at the end. "So bad, Troy. So bad."

"What do you say after this, we rent out an apartment together? Start over? Away from all the bad memories of being watched." Troy looked down at Gabriella, a smile tugging at his lips. Gabriella giggled again, instantly pressing her lips against Troy's in a passionate kiss.

"Mmm, I would want nothing more." Considering they actually get out of this alive.

Troy smirked, his lips moving away from hers and toward her jaw. "No old ladies…"

Gabriella could already feel his intentions, his jagged breath and sloppy kisses just proving her assumption. What the hell, she might as well make their time worth it.

With that, she jumped on top of him, grinning seductively.

"Why exactly do you hate Alex, man?" Troy asked as he helped pull out a few guns from a bag Marc managed to steal from the hide-out. Gabriella was 'training' with Joe, insisting it would help her get better for the future fight. Too bad he didn't know how good of a spy she actually was. Troy was positive Joe at least sprained his hand.

Marc looked up from the bag, a large smirk appearing on his face. What the…? "One word man; Brooke."

Troy nodded. "Well…it's not really a word, kind of a na-"

Marcs scoff stopped Troy, and he quickly straightened himself out.

"What happened?"

Marc shrugged. "He slept with her."

Troy made an o shape with his mouth and laughed soon after. "Let me guess, you liked her or something?"

"Or something." Marc said. "I was dating her for a while and Alex just seemed to like her. She tried hooking him up with Kristen, but that didn't work out. He sort of despised her, for reasons you know."

Troy nodded. "Yeah, she is the cause of many problems. And when I get out of this, I'm gonna make sure she's punished for everything she's done."

"It just seems like that family is up to no good." Mark confirmed.

Troy raised his eyebrows. "Did Brooke instigate it?"

Marc chuckled, slowly shaking his head. "Nah, Alex did. But still, she went along with it. I call that fucked up in my book."

Troy laughed as well. "Did Alex happen to do this while he was working for The General?"

Marc nodded. "He must've just needed a quick fuck. Cause after that one night, he didn't care for her anymore. She's in love with him though. He doesn't care."

"It's like a fucking chain," Troy told him. "Love not being shared, fights happening over people…"

"Would it make you laugh if I told you I think The General had a romantic relationship with Francisco?"

And that, it did.

Troy smirked, his laugh soon shooting out of his lips just as fast as Marc told him. "Of course, love starting it all."

Marc nodded, adding in a laugh as well. "And ending with it all…" He turned to look at Gabriella and Joe as they fought playfully, a small smile forming on his lips. "Gabriella's a great girl, you know. I can see why you're fighting so hard for her."

Troy nodded, slowly turning to face her direction also. He stared at her with gleaming eyes as he took in her careless appearance, but one that made him fall in love with her even more. She made it effortless to look beautiful, yet she would never believe him if he said that. Just the simple black sweatpants and white tank top could only make Troy yearn to touch her. She had no idea what affect she had on him.

Her messy curls were bouncing with every jump she made toward Joe, and her giggles were erupting throughout the room echoing off the walls and planting into Troy's mind. He loved the fact that she had laughed again, that she was happy again. Even if it meant from someone else, or just for a little while, it made him happy as well.

"I know…" Troy said softly, his gaze returning back onto Marc as he kept unloading pistols onto the table.

"When you got something like that," Marc said, still pulling the guns and other objects from his bag. "You don't let it go. No matter what obsessive fuckers do to try and get her."

Troy chuckled, completely agreeing. "Back to Alex?"

Marc nodded. "Back to Alex." He grinned.

As Troy was about to respond, he heard the loud gasps of breath coming closer to him, the small creak against the floor earning a smirk from him.

He turned quickly to see Gabriella tip-toeing toward him, the grin she had on fading when she saw him notice her. "Dammit." She mumbled, defeated.

"Trying to scare me?" Troy grinned, reaching his hands out to her.

She rolled her eyes, but that didn't stop her from moving her small body into his grasp. With one quick pull, she was sitting on his lap, her head touching his slightly.

Troy played with the hem of her shirt, his fingers slowly trailing down the small exposed skin of her waist toward the band of her sweatpants.

"You know, I think I miss those spandex shorts of yours." Troy winked.

Gabriella blushed deeply, her tiny fingers flicking his away. Marc was staring with a hilarious expression, and to say she wasn't embarrassed was a deep lie.

"Do I get one of those babies?" Gabriella nodded toward the pile of handguns, her wide smile now evident on her face.

Marc looked at her, carefully placing on in her extended hand.

"Try not to shoot me, alright?"

Gabriella giggled, nodding.

"If anything, she would punch the shit out of you." Troy confessed.

Gabriella's eyes widening, remembering something she had just done.

Suddenly, a large arm came into view, small spots of red visible all over the skin. "Like she did to me?" Joe pushed his hand out further, showing it off to Troy.

Gabriella closed one eye, her mouth opening a little. "Sorry…"

Troy chuckled, placing one long, lingering kiss against her sweaty forehead. "Atta girl."

Gabriella giggled in his hold, pushing his shoulder so his lips left her. She stuck her tongue out once, grinning when he gasped silently.

"Yeah, it hurt like a bitch. Just so you know." Joe groaned.

Gabriella stared at her gun once, before shrugging her shoulders and handing it over to Joe. "I guess you'll need this more than me."

Marc started laughing, shaking his head in utter amusement. "Beat by a girl…" Marc looked up at Joe as he pulled a chair from the side and sat down. "Joe, Joe, Joe, what kind of spy are you?"

"One that obviously has sensitive skin." Joe rubbed his arm, the red marks only getting worse. Troy wondered where else Gabriella had managed to get him.

And then, he remembered the time she kicked him in his nuts.

Hopefully Joe didn't have to go through that one.

Which judging by the way he wasn't even paying attention to there, Troy knew it hadn't happened.

Cause if it did…he'd need a few ice packs.

"Troy?" Gabriella whispered, twisting her head around to face Troy. He looked at her, a grin on his face.

"Brie?"

She giggled, poking him quickly in the chest. "You alright there, bud?"

Troy nodded, loving the way she would giggle after everything she said now, even if it wasn't even funny. He just loved this side of her. He desperately wished it was always like this.

"You guys alive?" Marc asked out of the blue, snapping both Gabriella and Troy out of their eye lock.

Troy coughed quietly, looking up at Marc and nodding.

"So, what's the plan?" Troy asked, bringing up the most important topic they were supposed to be talking about at this moment.

"I don't know if you're going to like it, Troy." Joe added in.

"Why?" Troy snapped quickly, a little too quickly.

"Well…"


	21. The Plan

"Will you just fucking tell me already?" Troy growled.

Pulling her arm around Troy's back and resting her hand there, Gabriella slowly rubbed it soothingly. "Calm down, Troy." She whispered.

Troy gulped slowly, nodding his head back at her before focusing all of his attention on Joe and Marc.

Marc smiled. "It's not that we think you aren't capable, Troy…because we know you are," What the hell was that supposed to mean? "It's just that, with Gabriella, you tend to get a bit..."

"Distracted," Joe added in.

Marc nodded, watching as Troy chuckled emotionlessly. He ignored him and continued. "…which is why we think Gabriella should just do this part of the job on her own."

"What exactly will she be doing on her own?" Troy asked.

"I'll be close by her-" Joe said, only to be interrupted by Troy.

"You didn't answer my question." He snapped.

Joe rolled his eyes, ignoring Troy's tone of voice. Marc quickly took a breath and spoke before Joe could. "We only need her to deliver something to The General."

Troy laughed. "You can't be serious…" He looked over at Joe, his jaw tightening. "You're not serious, right?"

Joe sighed. "We don't have access into the warehouse, Troy."

"Obviously she won't either." Troy groaned in disbelief. "They probably have the place covered with extra guards."

"We never said anything about Gabriella going inside…" Marc stated.

"What?" Gabriella murmured from behind, finally speaking aloud and joining in on the conversation.

"We just need you to possibly get a hold of one of your friends that work there." Joe said shortly after.

Didn't he understand how dangerous that could be? "I-I…" Gabriella stuttered.

"Then, I'll do it." Troy said firmly. Gabriella shifted behind him, her heavy breath gaining on him. "I have a friend there too."

"No, Troy." Gabriella groaned, reaching around his body and tugging harshly at his shirt. Troy grunted in response as he was flipped around to face her. "Why won't you let me do anything?" She hissed. "I'm not some baby, dammit."

"I know you're not." He answered with a growl. "But you're my baby, and its way too dangerous for you."

She rolled her eyes. "It's not your decision, Troy."

Averting Gabriella's eyes, Troy angrily turned back around to Marc and Joe, giving them one small smile. "What do I have to give to my friend?"

Behind him, he could practically feel Gabriella's deathly stare boring into the back of his head. She was her own person, he understood that, but she never really thought through things like these.

Blinking rapidly, Marc watched the couple with an extremely baffled expression and opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. With Gabriella stepping in front of Troy, neither Marc or Joe even had time to explain.

"Do you mind giving us some time to think about this?" Gabriella asked softly, but it was drastically hard to hide the annoyance in her voice.

Marc nodded, racing quickly out of the room with Joe close behind. He shut the door as fast as he could, his breathing heavy with relief that he was out of the room.

Once they had departed, Gabriella swiftly turned around to meet Troy's angry eyes. "How dare you decide what I can or cannot do?" She snapped, her arms instantly crossing over her chest in a huff.

Troy let out a sigh, rubbing his forehead slowly. "Gabriella…"

"No." She growled. "I'm a spy for God's sake! I was trained for this kind of stuff, Troy. You don't think I can handle this?" She stepped forward toward him, his mouth instinctively opening to speak, but she stopped him with another loud growl. "I am perfectly capable of doing this. In fact, for three years, I did the most deadly missions you could possibly imagine! And where were you?" Gabriella huffed. "Off screwing random girls, I assume."

Troy scoffed in disbelief. "That's hilarious, Gabriella..." He spat. "…because from what I remember you were also off satisfying your needs." He trailed off topic, immediately bringing back something he would regret later.

Gabriella nearly jumped out of her shoes in frustration. "Shut the fuck up, Troy." She closed in on him, her face merely inches away from his. He could see the anger in her eyes, but nonetheless, the same amount of anger was in his. "I didn't do shit with him, you asshole."

"And I didn't do shit with anyone else," He told her hastily. "I didn't care about anyone else but you."

Her face lightened up a bit, but she couldn't bring herself to calm down completely. "If you care about me so much, why can't you let me do this?" She asked harshly.

That was exactly when she brought out something in Troy, something he was trying to keep locked inside, safe and private. He had tried to push the thought aside, plenty of times it had worked. But just remembering the danger they were in, it was hard to hold it in. "I can't fucking lose you, Gabriella." He hissed in annoyance. "I told you once before with Francisco, but Gabriella…this is different. If the General catches you, you'll be gone. I will _never _get to see you again. Don't you understand that? I'm so fucking in love with you; I can't bear to see anything happen to you. She will take you away from me and I won't be able to do anything about it."

Gabriella noticed Troy's eyes changing into a darker shade of blue, simply watering with tears as they fell below his cheek.

"Troy…" Gabriella said softly, lifting her hand up to wipe away the tears that continued to fall. "I love you so much…" Troy looked down at her, sniffing silently as she wiped another stray tear. "But you need to have faith in me. Nothing, and I repeat, _nothing_ can take me away from you. Not even death."

Troy's eyes suddenly widened at her last word, but Gabriella quickly shook her head. "Nothing is going to happen to me, okay? I promise."

With a slow nod of the head, Troy used all his will power to answer back to her statement, whether or not he believed it, he believed in her. And of course she was right, once again. He should have faith in her. She was a well taught spy, one that was very intelligent and strong in the mind.

Even if it killed him inside, he would have to let her win this argument.

"Let me do this, Troy." She whispered.

Troy's eyes locked with hers, and for a moment all the worries he had faded. "Okay…"

* * *

"Now, does this all make sense?" Marc asked.

Gabriella rolled her eyes playfully. She was not some child, hadn't she made that clear? "Yes, sir." She smirked.

Marc laughed as well, realizing how stupid that actually sounded when he asked her. Of course she understood what he was saying, she was brilliant.

"So tomorrow sounds good, right?" Joe asked from the side.

Gabriella nodded and added in a bright smile before looking next to her to Troy. He was looking down, not seeming to be paying attention to anything they were talking about. Gabriella noted that he was also fiddling with his hands, his nerves racing back.

"Troy?" Gabriella softly asked.

Troy's hands broke apart quickly and he looked up, his eyebrows lifting. "Hm?"

Gabriella smiled slightly. "Is tomorrow okay?"

Troy coughed. "Yeah – yeah…sure."

Gabriella nodded. "Would you like to know how safe this will be?" She grinned.

Instantly, Troy's eyes perked up, his body jerking forward in eagerness.

Gabriella could've laughed if the situation wasn't as serious.

"Well, I will be completely disguised. From head to toe." She smiled. "You probably won't even be able to recognize me."

Troy gave her a small smile, which she gladly returned. "All I actually have to do is stop by Sharpays apartment and give her this letter." Gabriella pointed toward the small piece of paper lying on the table. "She gives it to The General, and bam…the truth is uncovered." Gabriella giggled softly.

Troy nodded. "What's in the letter exactly?" He seemed to have warmed up with the whole situation of Gabriella doing this, but he wasn't completely okay with the idea yet.

Marc chuckled. "If you were listening, you probably would've known."

Troy rolled his eyes and looked back at Gabriella who was still giggling. It only made him want to laugh along with her, but he just couldn't.

"It's going to tell her everything about Alex, Kristen, and Francisco…How Alex faked his own death to get out of her hold, and how Kristen is a backstabbing bitch."

Joe smirked. "We also threw in a little proof as well."

Troy raised his eyebrow. "Like?"

"Let's just say, we had a few pictures of Alex and Francisco. If she isn't stubborn, she'll believe us and you'll be cleared." Marc told him.

"And when you're cleared, you can return to the warehouse." Joe said.

Troy nodded. "What then?"

"Then, you guys are going to get that diamond."

Gabriella smiled at Troy, giving him a little encouraging nod. "It'll be like the mission all over again." She giggled. "But this time, it won't be a fricken fake diamond."

Troy finally let out a chuckle, remembering the mission training with Gabriella he had endured. Oh, good times. "What about Alex?"

Both Joe and Marc grinned. "After Francisco goes to prison…" Joe said slowly, Marc soon completing his sentence.

"We take him down, along with the rest of _them._" Troy knew he was referring to the others he met, including Kristen, but for some reason…it felt like he was only referring to one person; Brooke. The woman who broke his heart. Honestly, it didn't feel like he was even talking about Alex.

Gabriella quickly sat up. "I call Kristen." She said loudly to get her point across.

Troy grinned. "Make sure I'm there to watch."

Gabriella giggled, nudging Troy in his shoulder. "You'll have a front row seat…" She winked. "Hey, maybe if you're lucky I'll take my shirt off."

Marc coughed loudly, patting his chest hard. Joe quirked his eyebrow and looked at Marc as he seemed to choke on air.

Unlike the clueless guy and the dying guy, Troy suddenly felt very hot. If only he could kick Marc and Joe out at the moment.

Damn.

* * *

Nearly an hour ago, Marc and Joe had left the pair to get some more supplies for tomorrow, along with Gabriella's necessities for her disguise. She told them, well demanded, they get her a blonde wig with large sunglasses, and a massive trench coat as well. She had seen movies where they dressed up like that, and it only urged her to try it out. She never once had a disguise that hid all over her features that made her, her. But now, now that she had to hide herself completely, she needed to become someone else. And she even named herself. Yep, she was now going to be Angelina. If only Troy understood why. Oh how clueless he was when it came to Brad Pitt; the husband of her dreams.

"What happens if Sharpay isn't there tomorrow?" Troy asked suddenly, out of breath as Gabriella also breathed heavily with her hands placed on her knees and her back slouched.

"Then I go to Taylors." She responded shortly after, barely getting out the words. She knew what was next, so quickly, she continued. "If she's not there, I'll just slide it under her door." Gabriella lied. If none of her friends were present, that would mean they were in danger as well. Which means…the only option would be to get to The General herself. She just hoped it wouldn't come down to that.

Troy nodded, grabbing his bottle from the side and chugging down some cold water. When he was finished, he handed it to Gabriella and she quickly gulped down the rest. "Sharpay used to leave for work around 8, so I should probably go there with Joe…" Gabriella took another deep breath. "By 7."

"Okay." Troy said softly. "If you're not back by-"

Gabriella giggled, cutting him off. "Will you stop with the worrying? I'll be fine. We talked about this."

Troy rolled his eyes, slowly walking closer to her with his hands gradually extending out to her. "I know, I know." He sighed, pulling her into his arms. "It's just hard not to worry."

She rested her head against his chest and inhaled his scent. "I'll tell Sharpay to tell Taylor to tell Chad you said hi," She whispered and giggled.

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss against her hair. "Let's get back to training." He told her. "I need you fit and ready for tomorrow in case something happens."

She ignored his worries for just this moment and moved away from his grasp, giving him a small innocent smile before pulling him into a head lock.

With a taunting tone, she whispered into his ear as he struggled to get out of her grip.

"What was that you said? I_ need _to get fit and ready?"


	22. Into Action

This was it, this was the moment that would define her strength, prove that all the training she accomplished had actually done something for her.

In only minutes, Gabriella would be sneaking around, avoiding any eye contact with anyone and everyone.

Fate had now rested on her hands.

The outcome of this - if she would get out safe or in the arms of The General - would determine whether or not Troy would get to see her again.

It would determine whether or not she was a good spy.

Let's just say, this was pretty damn important.

"Your wig's a little crooked," Joe grinned.

Gabriella's head quickly jerked to the mirror in front of her, her eyes scanning the lengthy blonde wig for any indication it was tampered with. She groaned when she realized he was right, and pushed it to the side a little.

"Just keep driving." She grunted, fixing the smudge of red lipstick on the side of her lip.

From the side, Joe was suppressing a laugh, she could tell.

"You got everything?" He managed to take a breath, and straightened back into the spy he was.

Gabriella answered with a simple yes and roamed her body, taking in the normal skinny jeans, gladiator sandals and red baby doll shirt. To complete her outfit, she had a few accessories; bangles, a heart necklace, rings, and hoop earrings. When she insisted on the Sherlock Holmes outfit, he only denied her, saying it would attract attention. So she was stuck with a normal outfit, reading glasses, and a blonde wig. Although she didn't particularly want this disguise at first, it was starting to grow on her. Truthfully, she looked sort of hot. In a blonde kind of way…

"As in?" She asked.

Joe chuckled. "Gun?"

Gabriella's eyes widened, and she quickly patted her body down. "I think I-"

She stopped speaking when she noticed the same gun she had claimed on Joe's lap. She grunted and ignored his laughs, harshly pulling the gun away from him. "Not funny."

Joe shrugged. "I thought it was pretty funny."

"Yeah? Well wait till I tell Troy. You can laugh at how funny it is then." She grinned playfully.

He rolled his eyes playfully as well. "You think he can take me?"

Gabriella proudly nodded. "I think he can take anyone."

Joe nodded, not entirely believing that. "Alex, too?"

Gabriella immediately slumped down and looked away from Joe. "Of course…" She said softly.

"Gabriella, you obviously know Troy hates him. I don't like saying it, but I know Troy wants him dead. As does Marc. They _will_ get into a fight. It's inevitable."

"Well maybe Marc should just fight him." Gabriella suggested.

"I know he wants to." Joe said.

Gabriella saw the hesitance in his voice. "But..."

"But…" Joe repeated. "I honestly think Marc is more furious with Brooke than Alex."

Gabriella sat up straighter. "Brooke?"

Joe nodded. "They have some history together, hence the reason why he hates Alex. I just don't think he hates Alex enough to kill him like he says."

Gabriella gulped. Had Alex been doing 'stuff' with Brooke while he asserted his love for Gabriella? How much more could he lie? "And you're saying Troy does…"

Joe licks his lips. "I'm saying, Marc won't kill him. Marc just isn't that type of person. But Troy, I don't know what he would do. I haven't known him long enough."

Gabriella blinked slowly. "I have…" She sighed. "I think if he had the chance, he would kill Alex in a heartbeat."

Joe nodded. "Alex would kill Troy in a heartbeat too." He softly told her.

She cringed at his words. "I know…"

"Which is why you're scared for them to fight?" Joe looked at her once, before looking back at the road and pressing onto the brakes.

Gabriella glanced outside and instantly knew it was the apartment complex where Taylor lived. "I'll be back." She interrupted, ignoring his question. With a quick nod at him, she skipped out of the car and into the morning haze.

It was exactly like she remembered, the large white building reminding her of some sort of dull area. She had suggested Taylor move out and to where Gabriella lived, but Taylor specifically told her there were too many memories here. Which she didn't quite understand, because Taylor only lived there for a few years.

Breathing deeply, Gabriella walked herself to Taylor's door with a large 49 above, and knocked once. She looked around carefully to inspect, smiling to herself when there was nothing in sight. Even though it looked peaceful and quiet, it still didn't mean people weren't watching, which is why she was still cautious.

After a few seconds, Gabriella knocked eagerly again, waiting impatiently for her friend. She glanced down at her watch and read the time as 7:05. Where the hell was sh-

When the door opened, Gabriella was completely startled to see Taylor…accompanied by Chad, looking extremely upset. They were both slumped over, bags under their eyes, hair tousled and skin paled. They looked like they had seen a ghost.

"Taylor? Chad?" Gabriella whispered in disbelief, examining them further.

Taylor's tired eyes widened when she recognized the voice, and quickly she made a move to pull Gabriella into her arms.

Worried about her safety, Gabriella put her hand up, gesturing Taylor to stop. With a frown, Taylor moved back in confusion next to the equally confused Chad.

"Can I come in?" Gabriella whispered again.

She didn't even bother to wait for their answers as she brushed past them and safely closed the door, leaning against it in a huff.

Gabriella pulled her glasses off, but left the wig on…just in case.

"What happened to you guys?" Gabriella asked, taking in their fragile like appearances again.

"Us?" Chad questioned, stepping further.

Taylor grabbed his arm, tugging him backwards. She looked at Gabriella and a small tear fell down her face. "How are you alive?"

Gabriella tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean _alive_?"

Chad gulped. "We heard you died…being transported…"

Oh god. They knew her and Troy were being transferred to a government facility? What else did they know?

But most importantly, why did they think she was dead?

"Where the hell did you hear that?" Gabriella asked weary.

"Kristen…" Taylor whispered softly, choking in a sob.

Gabriella scoffed in disbelief. "That fucking bitch…" She grunted.

"Gabriella, what the hell is going on?" Chad snapped, his voice still somewhat soft though.

Gabriella sighed. "I can't tell you right now…I don't have much time." She quickly pulled the enclosed letter from her pocket and handed it over to Taylor. "Can you promise me that you will give this to The General today?"

"What? Gabriella-"

"Please." Gabriella said, frustrated. "I just need you to make sure she gets it. Soon I'll be back and I'll be able to explain everything."

Before either could respond, Gabriella was putting her glasses back on and rushing out of the room, leaving two shocked, yet confused people behind. Gabriella knew Taylor would make sure Caruso got the letter, she was positive on that.

After all, when Gabriella first left the motel to leave for Sharpays, she knew that she could depend on Taylor more. Taylor was just that type of person. Where Sharpay would not let her leave without an explanation. It was ironic how they switched places on something as important as this.

* * *

"Shit dude, will you quit tapping your damn foot?"

Troy shifted slightly so now he was in a standing position with his hand running through his tangled hair. He looked down at his feet, which still happened to be impatiently tapping against the wood. "Uh…" He mumbled.

Marc rolled his eyes. "I get that you're worried," He sighed. "But just try to stop? It's distracting me." He pointed toward a few papers scattered in front of him, which Troy noted before, was information on Francisco.

Troy scoffed, placing his hardened hand onto his knee to try and control his rhythmic tapping. "Fucking…" Troy muttered as his feet came to a halt.

"She'll be back soon, Troy. She's in good hands." Marc told him while he continued to stare at the papers intently.

"You underestimate the power of The General," Troy said.

Marc chuckled, but his eyes were still focused on the paper. "That's why she hasn't found you yet, right?"

Troy nodded. "Yet." He said, his voice hoarse and convincing.

Marc rolled his eyes again, but Troy wouldn't be able to notice. "Gabriella's fine." He told him once again.

"I'll believe it when I see it." Troy told himself bitterly, his mind whirling with the possibility that Gabriella could be in danger now, and he couldn't do a single thing about it.

* * *

Gabriella sighed as she took off her wig and tossed it to the side, forgotten. They had come a great distance from Taylors, so she could only assume it was safe now. Besides, the wig was causing her a great deal of discomfort.

"You alright?" Joe asked from the side.

Gabriella muttered a soft yes and tugged the fake glasses off her face instantly. "I just want all this to be over with."

Joe chuckled and nodded in understanding. "I've felt that way for years." He said.

"But you didn't do anything about it?" Gabriella softly said, more so coming off as a question.

Joe shrugged. "I guess I didn't have the guts."

Gabriella smiled suddenly, his statement reminding her how brave she had just been. "You know…" She said evenly. "When this is all over, I think you should meet my friends."

Joe glanced at Gabriella as the car came to a stop at a red light. "Seriously?" He stared at her.

Gabriella giggled and nodded. "Marc too." She grinned. "I think they would like you guys…"

"That would be great." He smiled and turned back to look in front of him.

"Also…" She added in shortly. "My friend Sharpay, she's very much single and looking." Gabriella giggled.

Joe chuckled. "How ironic," He looked at her quickly. "I'm very much single and looking as well."

* * *

"Troy, slow down!" Marc grunted as Troy accidentally knocked him over to the side and onto the floor. Troy gave him one quick glance, one that Marc couldn't entirely make out, and paced his body out the door.

There standing with a childish smile on her face, unharmed and extremely happy, was Gabriella. Troy thought he couldn't possibly be any more anxious, but when he heard a car screeching outside, his mind told him otherwise.

In less than a second, he was running toward Gabriella with an identical smile on his face and lifting her into the air. "God, I'm so happy you're okay." He mumbled into her hair as he carefully set her back down.

Before Gabriella could even react, Troy's mouth was touching hers, his tongue already entering in desperation. The kiss was warm and sweet, relaxing her further into his strong arms. She hadn't remembered a time when his kisses were this gentle, where his whole life seemed to depend on keeping her safe in his hold.

But she couldn't bring herself to move away and tell him how everything went so smoothly, because her heart was beating so fast against his, and she swore if she pulled away she would faint.

Troy softly bit at her bottom lip as his hands snaked around her waist and toward her back, where he softly caressed her back.

"Troy…" She whimpered in the kiss.

He took this as satisfaction and soon his hands were making their way up the back of her shirt.

"Ahem."

Gabriella quickly pulled away and stared at Joe with wide eyes. He was chuckling, his hand balled into a fist and covering his mouth.

Troy growled besides her, pulling her closer into his body once more.

"Shall I say it?" Joe smirked.

As Troy was about to respond, Marc came from behind them and glared at Joe. "Leave him be. He's been annoying me since you two left." He told Gabriella and Joe.

Gabriella giggled and looked up at Troy who was smiling down at her. "Hi." He said.

She smiled softly and grabbed his hand into hers. "I told you not to worry." She said playfully.

Troy shrugged, bringing his lips down once more to connect them.

"Maybe this time, you should actually go _inside _the room." Joe laughed.

Troy grunted and hesitantly allowed his face to move away from hers. She pouted. "Let's go." He mumbled.

She nodded, giving a quick wave to both Marc and Joe, and allowed herself to be scooped up into Troy's arms as he led her inside the motel room, shutting the door behind him.

Once they were inside, Troy softly set her down on the bed and sat next to her.

Gabriella saw his face coming closer and giggled, shaking her head and finger at him. "First, I'm gonna tell you how great everything went."

Troy frowned. "Can't it wait?" He made a move to press his lips against her neck, but she pushed him back.

"No, you spent your time worrying, and now I'll tell you how pointless that was." She demanded.

Troy nodded and rolled his eyes, but he kept still and waited for her to continue. "Okay." He said.

Gabriella smiled victoriously and positioned herself on top of his lap. "Aren't you going to ask me how things went?" She smirked.

Troy chuckled and wrapped his arms around her to prevent her from falling. "How'd things go?" He repeated.

She giggled. "Perfectly. No sign of The General or anything."

Troy raised his eyebrows. "Nothing?"

Gabriella nodded. "Not a guard in sight." She looked down at their intertwined hands. "I at least thought she'd have someone watching over them."

Troy nodded slowly as well. "Huh…" He told himself. That was odd. The General was smarter than that, wasn't she?

"But," She perked up. "You will never guess what I found out."

"Hm?" He asked.

"Kristen told Chad and Taylor that I _died_ while being transported." She said nastily.

"Chad was there?" He laughed in disbelief.

"Yes, but who cares, did you just hear what I said?" She grunted.

Troy chuckled and squeezed her hand. "It shouldn't be surprising babe, Kristen is evil like that."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Still." She watched as he grinned and glared at him.

"At least they're okay, Brie." He brushed her bangs away from her face and let his hand linger against her forehead for a moment. "And you're okay."

Gabriella smiled and pressed a quick, soft kiss on his lips. "I told you I would be."

Troy nodded. "How could I ever think to doubt you?" He smiled.

Gabriella looked at him inscrutably and soon her eyes wandered away from him. "I know, how could you?" She added a large exaggerated breath and giggled shortly after.

"I will never again, you can count on it." He slowly rocked her back and forth in his arms and tightened his grip around her. "I love you." He whispered.

She rested her head in the crook of his neck and smiled softly. "I love you to-"

Gabriella's heart nearly stopped at the sudden loud explosion that filled the room, and soon glass was flying everywhere, and Gabriella was protectively tucked underneath Troy as they fell onto the floor.

She let out a small grunt at the weight on top of her, but she was more focused on finding out if he was harmed.

With her hoarse voice, Gabriella slowly spoke aloud. "Troy, are you okay?" She asked frantically, and when he didn't make a move above her, she could only imagine the worst.

And then, he lifted his head and searched her face and body worriedly. "Are you okay?" He repeated, ignoring her question.

She nodded, pushing against his body a little. He stood up, a loud groan escaping his lips shortly after. Gabriella noticed the small shards of glass falling off his back and her body cringed in fear.

"What was that?" She mumbled as he helped her up despite his own injury.

"I don't know…" Troy pulled Gabriella behind him and they both turned toward the door, to see the window next to it completely shattered.

Without even a moment's hesitation, the door flew open, and Marc and Joe hurried in with feared expressions.

"What the hell was that?" Joe shouted, immediately looking over the glass that lay everywhere on the floor. Marc stood next to him, his eyes only focused on Troy and Gabriella.

"Are you guys-"

Gabriella suddenly yelped loudly when Marc and Joe fell forward with closed eyes and they soon rested motionless on the floor. She jumped, her hand gripping tightly onto Troy's bicep.

As Troy was about to move forward to check on the guys, Gabriella gasped.

Hovering over Marc and Joe was none other than Alex…

And he had a gun pointed right at Gabriella and Troy.


	23. Savior

Troy's jaw tightened at Alex's presence, and now, he was even more riled up.

Alex's grin was something Troy hated with a passion, almost more than he hated Alex himself.

"Hello, Gabriella." Alex said softly.

Troy instantly tensed as he said her name, and soon his arms were pulling Gabriella behind him.

Alex rolled his eyes and Troy growled. "Why do you think I want to hurt her, Troy? I would never." He confirmed.

Still, Troy didn't buy it. He was positive he would never believe a word Alex said. "What the hell do you want?" Troy growled again.

Alex chuckled and he slowly lowered the gun a little. "You ran off with her." He said. "I couldn't allow you to take her from me."

Gabriella gulped behind Troy, but she couldn't make a move to say anything. Alex was truly frightening her, and it was obvious he was getting under Troy's skin. He was almost breaking Gabriella's hand with his tight grip. "I'm going to kill you." Troy hissed.

Alex rolled his eyes again. "Should you really be saying that to someone who has a gun?" Alex shook the gun in his hand and smiled. "Not very smart, Bolton."

Troy gritted his teeth.

"On to a more important topic," Alex said. "Do you know how hard it was to find you?"

Gabriella reached her head over Troy's shoulder and she saw the way Alex's face brightened up upon seeing her. She shivered.

Alex reluctantly looked away from her and back to Troy. "Not very hard." He smiled. "I figured Gabriella would go see her friends, so being the very smart person I am…I waited there for her."

Gabriella's eyes widened. Was she that predictable?

"Let me just say; the only hard part was getting rid of Caruso's guards." He breathed deeply. "She had about 10 surrounding the area." Alex mouthed a quick 'yikes' to Gabriella.

No wonder why it had been so simple…She mused.

Alex then looked down at the lifeless men in front of him with a little puddle of blood around them. "And these two…" He kicked Marc harshly in the stomach, earning a loud gasp from Gabriella. Her instinct was to go help, but Troy pushed her back even further. "It was so obvious what they were going to do." He shook his head disappointedly "Such scum's…"

"Where is everyone else?" Troy muttered nastily, cringing at the form of Marc and Joe.

Alex immediately looked up and raised his eyebrows. "Why? So you can kill me and get away with it?" He chuckled. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but they're just outside."

Troy grunted, shaking his head. "That's not the reason why I'm not killing you."

Alex pursed his lips. "Oh," He nodded. "Why, then Bolton? Just a pussy?"

Gabriella was the one to growl at his statement, but Alex couldn't possibly hear her. She just wanted him out of her life already, no harm done to either Troy or herself. What was so hard about that?

Troy shook his head again, his eyes lowering down to Marc and Joe. He was afraid if he made a move, he would shoot either of them, or worse…Gabriella. Even though Alex made it clear he wouldn't harm her, Troy just couldn't…he just couldn't risk it.

"How about we let Gabriella, Joe and Marc go, and we finish this off like real men?" Troy asked.

Gabriella's eyes widened further and she instantly shook her head, tugging hard on Troy's shirt. "No." She whispered.

Troy looked to the side of him as if he was looking at her, but didn't make a notion to turn his head. "What do you say?" Troy asked Alex again.

Alex thought through the question, but that would only satisfy Troy, and he wouldn't have it. "Gabriella is not going anywhere." Alex commanded.

Troy growled. "Why not?"

Alex smirked. "Because I want her to watch as I kill you."

Gabriella's breath hitched in her throat and she forcefully pushed Troy's hand away from hers. "You are not going to touch him, Alex." She snapped, coming into full view for Alex to see.

Troy growled again and reached his hand out to Gabriella, but she shook her head and pushed his hand away. "Do you hear me, asshole? You will _not _touch him. If you even think about it, I will kill you." She said in an angry voice, her eyes furious.

He looked startled as he stared at Gabriella. He never expected that from her."Gabi…"

She hissed. "Don't. Call. Me. That."

Troy coughed behind her, this time harshly pushing her behind him when she was done with her rant. He glared at her once, demanding her not to do that again with his eyes, and she rolled hers.

Troy looked back at Alex and Alex bit his lip. "She doesn't care about you Alex, why can't you fucking see that?" Troy sneered.

"She does…" He whispered, slowly lifting his gun up.

Troy gulped as he watched, but when he heard a small shuffle, his eyes quickly looked down at Marc and Joe, and noticed Marc stirring and his eyes fluttering open. Troy shook his head at him to stay down, and Marc's eyes widened at the sudden pain he felt.

Alex had moved past them, his legs moving him further toward Troy and Gabriella at a very slow pace.

He now had his hand on the trigger and his eyes focused on Troy. "You don't deserve her Troy."

Troy growled. "Neither do you."

Gabriella was about to scream for him to stop, but it was too late when a loud gunshot sounded throughout the room. She shut her eyes tightly and prepared for Troy to fall, but when he didn't, she slowly opened her eyes back open.

And that's when utter relief flowed through her body.

Marc was in a standing position with his hand draped over to the side, a gun tightly placed in his hand. But by the look in his eyes, Gabriella almost instantly knew he wasn't the one to shoot.

He turned around slowly, his eyes widening further to see The General standing there with a semi in her hand. Now, she looked like someone that had just shot.

Troy stared at her confused before a small smile tugged at his lips. The General responded with a small nod and smile as well, and Troy finally felt relieved. Did this mean she got the letter? That she now believed them?

Gabriella quickly brushed past Troy and used all her courage not to look at Alex lying on the ground, her body soon kneeling down to help Joe stand up. The General walked out of the room, giving Troy a gesture to follow her when he was finished.

Troy stared at a frozen Marc, his hand still gripped tightly onto the gun. He couldn't shoot Alex, he had tried…but he failed to pull the trigger. Troy would've died, and it would've been left in his hands. It would've been all his fault.

"Marc…" Troy whispered, soon stepping forward, but Marc shook his head. He looked down at Alex, his heart beating fast. Why the fuck couldn't he shoot him?

"Let's just go." Marc said.

Soon, Gabriella was holding onto Joe and helping him out of the room while Troy was carefully pulling the gun away from Marc. Troy knew, by Marc just looking at his gun, that he was hurting, that he was hating himself for not having the ability to kill Alex. But Troy couldn't help but wonder if he was Marc, would he have done the same?

"Are you okay?" Troy asked, nudging Marc.

Marc coughed and took a breath. "Yeah, come on."

And as they left the room, Troy had not expected two guards to enter the room and dispose of Alex's body, while other guards were handling the rest of Alex's crew. Each being held tightly, they were squirming and shouting to be let loose.

For a moment, Troy almost wondered whose guards they were, until The General stepped in front of Jason with a smitten look on her face. She almost looked satisfied to get a hold of some of Francisco's spies.

But then, something struck Troy's nerves, and he desperately wiped his body around to find Gabriella. She was standing next to Joe as The Generals personal nurse examined his head. He smiled. She was okay. Everything was okay.

"Can I have my gun back?" Marc grinned to hide the previous moment's occurrence. He tried to push the thought of Alex aside for just a moment and be grateful that everyone was alright, and everyone was safe.

Troy returned the grin and shook his head. "I always liked this gun." He chuckled.

"Yeah, me too." Marc softly said. He looked around the parking lot and soon his grin was replaced with pursed lips and his eyes were widening. "That can't be right…" He mumbled and stepped forward.

Troy raised his eyebrows. "What?" He ran in front of Marc. "Dude, what's wrong?"

Marc looked at Troy. "Brooke's missing."

It was almost like a cue, almost like after Marc finished those words that she happened to pop out with a gun in her hand. She must've been hiding very secretly, because her presence wasn't known until this very moment that she shot at Troy. She witnessed the killing of Alex from the window and she couldn't help but blame it on Troy. A part of her wanted to blame Gabriella…she just couldn't. Gabriella made Alex happy, and Brooke loved seeing her baby happy. But Troy…Troy brought out a side of Alex that frightened her. And now, Alex was dead. The love of her life was dead. She might as well be dead too.

"Troy!"

He didn't know who said it, but he couldn't entirely care at this point. Between the hard hit to the shoulder when he fell to the ground, and the dizziness that overcame him, he couldn't focus.

Especially after he saw Marc lying next to him…

Not moving.

"Marc." Troy said, shocked. He scrambled over to him and hovered, his face filled with worry.

He hadn't even noticed that Gabriella was by his side softly sniffing after she realized Troy wasn't the one that was shot. Brooke was knocked to the ground by a guard, soon being carried toward the rest of the spies.

"Marc." Troy repeated this time with a little more force. He gripped his shoulders and shook him carefully. "Wake up, man." Troy said, his voice raspy and hoarse.

Gabriella choked a sob and let a few tears fall down her face as she watched Troy try to wake Marc up. It seemed at this point, Marc was not going to.

"Marc…buddy, come on." Troy used all his will power to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "You can't die on me now Marc…Not now. Not when everything was starting to be okay again..." Troy looked at Marc for any sign that he might still be there, but there wasn't any…no breathing, no pulse…nothing…only blood as it poured out beneath him.

"Troy…" Gabriella whispered as she placed her hand on his shoulder.

"No," Troy told her. "He's going to be fine. He has to be." He wouldn't be able to live with the regret that Marc had risked his own life to save Troy's. He just wouldn't be able to.

"Troy…" She repeated, her tears seeping through into her mouth. She slowly looked down at Marc and let the tears fall more rapidly.

"Fuck." Troy banged his hand against the hard cement angrily.

"He's gone Troy..." She whispered softly, her eyes becoming heavy as more tears came out.

In almost an instant, Troy was crying into Gabriella's chest and she was rubbing his hair softly as she let out her own tears. Both didn't care that people were staring with unreadable expressions, or that Joe was sobbing uncontrollably on the ground, or even that Alex's crew – minus Brooke – were also shedding tears…the only thing they cared about was that Marc was dead, and the realization that he wasn't coming back hit them harder than anything.

Ugh, I know...do you hate me? Cause I hate myself. I actually liked Marc A LOT, but I figured I needed something sad :/ which I think it is...And yeah, you're probably like WTF NO WHY, and wondering why Gabriella doesn't care that Alex is dead, or that Troy is crying over someone he just met. But come on, he wasn't like causing a flood; just a few tears. Obviously Joe is gonna cry more, Marc was his best friend. And back to Gabriella, I'll explain all her feelings and stuff next chapter, cause you probably have no idea what she's thinking. Anyway, I hope you...enjoyed it? Don't stop reading because one person is dead, k? K :)


	24. Returning

Gabriella's short slumber was filled with disturbing dreams, repeating the recent events back at the motel. She would wake up every ten minutes or so sweating and breathing heavily, having Troy next to her wide awake to sing her to sleep. He had tried to rest, but as he engulfed into darkness Marc's face consumed his vision. There was not much he could do besides watch Gabriella fidget in her sleep, looking so fragile and delicate.

"Troy…" Gabriella whimpered against him, vibrating his body as she sobbed into his chest. He did what he had been doing for the past hour and softly stroked her hair, letting her release all her pain.

"It's okay baby," He murmured aloud. "Try to close your eyes again." He insisted with a loud, heavy sigh. Only one more hour until the General would return to her office and have a talk with them. Then they could leave this room, head anywhere with a comfortable bed, and try to get a decent nap. Well, Gabriella could.

"I-I keep…seeing him…" She croaked through her tears, and the only response Troy had was a wince. It was obvious Gabriella wouldn't be getting back to sleep now, and Troy wasn't quite sure what to say to her. "Alex…" Gabriella mumbled.

Troy immediately froze at the mention of his name. He couldn't have heard that right. "Who?" He asked softly as he looked down at her hair.

She looked up at him with watery eyes and sniffed. "When I thought he was going to shoot at you, my whole world came crashing down, Troy…" She explained. "Only this time, he actually gets you…" She began crying again, a lot harder than she had in a while.

Troy closed his eyes to block out her weary face, fearing he would break down in tears at her appearance. He hated to see her so hurt, so broken. And he couldn't help her, not with the state he was in. He had to force himself to stay strong for her, for the both of them.

"I should feel upset…" She continued, much to Troy's dismay. He only kept his eyes closed and listened intently. "But Troy, I can't bring myself to care that he's dead…"

"Gabriella-" He said softly, soon being interrupted by her cracked voice.

"No, let me finish." She insisted. "I saw his body on the floor, gushing blood all over the carpet…and you know what I thought? I thought, wow, that's going to be extremely hard to clean up." She let out a painful laugh. "He was my best friend for so long, yet I didn't care that he was dead. I just cared that everyone was alive, safe, and we could finally move on from all this shit."

"And then it happened again…" Troy slowly opened his eyes to reveal Gabriella staring straight at him. "I watched Brooke point the gun at you. I thought it was all over, and then she tried to kill you. She tried to take you away from me like Alex was taken away from her." She reached up to his face and cupped his cheek in her hand, softly caressing it. "You almost left me, again. I felt so helpless…"

"Brie…" He finally spoke as she let out a few strangled sobs. "I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere." He promised.

She hesitantly nodded. "I wish he didn't die – Marc – but I'm so grateful that it was him instead of you." Gabriella almost felt disgusted with herself after finishing. "I don't know what I would do without you, Troy."

Troy placed his hand over hers. "I don't either," He agreed softly.

Gabriella was a little taken back when he removed her hand from his face, but as he adjusted her onto his lap, she noticed his hand digging into his pocket. When she let out another sniff, Troy had already pulled something out of his jeans.

"I was going to wait until we settled down…" He reasoned, fiddling with the object in his fingers. Gabriella caught a glimpse of shining metal and felt her eyes widen. "It's not a wedding ring," He added in when he noticed her eyes. That still didn't cause her to become relieved. "It's just a simple ring, that I hope one day _will_ become a wedding ring."

She couldn't catch onto the concept. "Troy…" She breathed.

"I guess you can call it a promise ring," He took her shaking hand into his. "I want to marry you someday Gabriella. I want to have a family, I want to move on from all this spy shit and just be with you." Troy slipped the ring onto her finger, a perfect fit. She glanced down at it, her breath hitching in her throat upon seeing the small diamond implanted on the band. If it wasn't a wedding ring, it was one hell of a promise ring.

"I love you so much, Gabriella." He told her, and before she could even reply, he pulled her into a long, passionate kiss. For the first time in her life, she felt tears on her face that weren't from her own eyes.

* * *

Gabriella had tried for a little, but she couldn't fall back to sleep, not with her thoughts absorbing her mind. She just sat in Troy's lap, staring at the beautiful ring that replaced the empty space.

When The General finally returned, there was a long moment of silence before either Troy or Gabriella could speak.

"How are you guys feeling?" The General cautiously asked as she sat down in front of them, a routine that was becoming too well known.

"Like shit." Troy said honestly.

The General nodded, unaffected by the saddening tone in his voice. "Would you guys like anything?"

Gabriella straightened herself in Troy's hold. "How about our lives back?" She muttered, irritated with The General's attitude.

Troy seemed a little shocked by Gabriella's outburst, but he couldn't help but agree. "I think you already know what we've been through."

"Yes, I know." She informed them. "That is why I will forget everything that has happened and move forward."

Gabriella's mouth gaped open. "Move forward? _We_ will not be able to move forward from this. For the rest of our lives, we will remember this day. We will remember the danger we were put through, the people we lost, all because you couldn't trust us." She snapped.

The General looked down as Gabriella continued. "I lost a really good friend today, and I almost lost Troy. I will always thank you for saving Troy's life, but I shouldn't have to. You started this, and you should've ended it."

"I am truly sorry for not believing you two," She said sincerely. "But there was evidence, and being in charge of many lives, I couldn't risk it."

"That you got from Kristen!" Gabriella growled. "You know we don't get along at all. How could you not think she was out to get us? You didn't think, General. You still don't seem to."

Troy quickly spoke before The General could get a chance to answer. "Where's Kristen?"

Gabriella looked up at Troy with a slightly confused expression on her face. He tightened his hold around her.

"She's in the holding cells, with the rest of them." She emphasized them, like Gabriella and Troy understood where she was coming from.

"Is Joe there?" Gabriella asked quietly, although her gaze never left Troy.

"Well, yes." She confirmed.

Gabriella jerked her head in The General's direction. "Let him go." She pleaded with her eyes.

The General tilted her head. "I am aware he was your friend, but that does not excuse him from being Francisco's spy."

"It should." Troy hissed, finally showing an emotion that was not under his control. "He wanted Francisco to pay, just like we did. He has not done anything that corrupted your little mission."

"If you have a heart, if you even care about what you did to us, you will let him go. He just lost his best friend, and now he has to deal with it alone." Gabriella said.

"He is not my sp-"

"General," Troy started. "Gabriella and I forgive you for putting us through hell. But if you don't let him go, we won't be able to forgive you this time. I promise you, things will not end well." He threatened.

"This is bigger than Francisco now, General. This doesn't have anything to do with your past with him. It has to do with us." Gabriella said.

It was at that exact moment that The General's eyes widened. And it was at that exact moment that she agreed to let Joe go.

* * *

Troy patiently waited by the wall, his arm leaning against it, as Gabriella spoke to the guard in front of Joe's cell. The cells were all transparent, so Troy had an easy view on all of the people he grew to know. Right now, the only person he even wanted to look at was Brooke. She reminded him so much of her sister, and he loathed it. If there wasn't a guard there, he would've gone inside the cell and choked her to death.

Brooke smirked at him, for an unknown reason, and winked. He clenched his fist and looked away from her to Gabriella. Gabriella was smiling up at the guard as he let her through, and just like that she disappeared from his gaze.

He wouldn't let himself look at Brooke again, not without reliving the memory of her killing Marc. If only there wasn't a barrier between the two.

"Troy!"

Troy hadn't realized he zoned out until Gabriella was standing a few feet away from him with a weary looking Joe next to her. He managed to put on a smile, but Troy could tell it took everything he had to move his muscles.

"Thank you." Joe said as Troy brought him into a man hug, before he pulled away to nod in appreciation.

"We're going to go back to Troy's apartment." Gabriella told Joe softly. She already hugged him and told him repeatedly how sorry she was for letting it come down to Marc's death.

Unexpectedly, Troy pulled Gabriella aside quickly and stared down at her confused face. "Are you okay to drive?" He asked.

Gabriella's eyebrows creased. "Yeah…" She said. "Why?"

He pulled his keys out from his pocket that The General gave him back before, and placed them into Gabriella's hand. "Drive Joe there."

"What?" She immediately tensed up. "Aren't you coming?"

"I need to speak to The General, again." It was a complete lie, but she should believe it. "Just be careful okay? I'll be there soon."

Gabriella shook her head. "I'm not leaving your side." She said sternly.

Troy sighed. He almost forgot about her stubbornness. "Gabriella, please. I'm sure Joe doesn't want to be here anymore. Just bring him to my apartment."

"I'll just wait until you're done speaking to her, I'm sure he doesn't min-"

"Gabriella." He brushed a loose curl behind her ear. "Nothing will happen to me. I promise."

Gabriella pressed her lips together, contemplating whether she should listen. But in the end, she did. Joe needed to get out of here, and so did she. "I love you."

He pressed a chaste kiss to her lips and nudged her a little to get moving. "I love you too. Be safe."

When Gabriella reluctantly left his side to grab Joe, Joe had a slightly shocked expression on his face at the news that Troy wouldn't be accompanying them. Once they left, Troy replayed Gabriella's sad face in his mind before she left him. God, he loved her.

"Excuse me," Troy said politely to the guard in front of Brooke's cell. The guard with the jacket tagged, Rick, looked down at Troy. "I just have a quick question." Once the guard nodded, Troy continued. "There's a girl that looks just like the one behind you, slightly smaller, annoying voice…do you happen to know where she is?"

"This is the only girl we have down here." The guard said.

Troy swallowed the lump in his throat that had started to form. "No, there was another girl with them. Her name's Kristen." Troy explained.

Rick was about to shake his head when a quick thought popped into his mind. "Wait, I think there was another girl…but she was moved before. It's just a floor up, you know, the single cell."

Troy sighed in relief. He knew what he was talking about. There was a hall with just one cell, usually for people that were known to be 'deadly'. Kristen was far from deadly.

He smiled thankfully and couldn't help but look at Brooke one last time. She winked again, but this time, Troy felt his stomach churn. Something didn't feel right, and it seemed like she knew.

Either way, he left to go to the elevator without another look. Time couldn't go anymore slower as he ran out the elevator and into the hallway that contained Kristen. Well, that was odd, he thought. Usually there were a few guards surrounding this hall. It was almost a rule to not have any spies up here, but he was one for breaking rules. He was just going to explain to the guards his situation, and hope they would allow him to see Kristen, but it didn't really look like he had to now.

He walked down the hallway involuntarily, feeling that pit in his stomach once again. It wasn't until he reached the holding cell that he nearly had a heart attack. Unlike the other cells, this one wasn't transparent. There was a little opening to look inside, and once Troy did look, he didn't see Kristen. Just three guards piled on top of each other, slashed up.

When he said Kristen wasn't deadly, he obviously hadn't thought it through.

And now that Gabriella was only with Joe, without Troy there to protect her, he felt his mouth turn dry. He ran faster than he ever has, praying she was safe.

* * *

Lmfao, it's really never going to end with them! Sorry, I just love danger and drama :D This story wouldn't be a story without it! I promise though soon, they will finally catch a break. Anyway, hope you like it! The story is almost over, kinda ;) I've been getting a lot less reviews lately, and I honestly don't mind. I just like the reviews to know you guys are reading, so it's fine. 1 review wouldn't even bother me, cause it's still one person I'm writing for ;) Okay, long authors note, I'm done now. Bye, loves!


	25. Blood

"Fuck, fuck, fuck." He muttered to himself as he flipped open his phone open again for the 100th time. The General gave Gabriella and Troy all their possessions back and he thought this would've helped them communicate. But she wasn't responding to any of his calls, texts, nothing. He only thought the worst.

Slamming his fist against the steering wheel, a loud honk sounded. He pressed his foot against the brake harshly before nearly jumping out of the car that The General also lent to him.

He was almost out of breath by the time he got to his apartment door, his shaking hands working hard to push his spare key in the lock. The door wasn't originally unlocked, which either meant Gabriella was harmed, or she was taking precautions. But the fact that he couldn't hear anything inside, and everything was too quiet, proved his assumptions true. Gabriella could be dead by now, and it was his entire fault. He shouldn't have let her go alone with Joe. He could fucking kill himself right now.

Troy flung the door open, immediately noticing the small lamp lit up on his side table. She was here. Oh fuck, he mused.

"Gabriella!" He practically screamed, rummaging throughout his apartment for his search. He was almost to his bedroom when he heard a beep. It sounded a lot like his phone.

He hastily pulled out his phone and eagerly flipped it open. There was one text message from Gabriella, and he had never been happier in his life.

_I took Joe to the grave tht the gen made. He wanted to see Marc & I did too. We'll be at the apartment soon. Don't be worried if you don't hear from me, im fine. Love you so so so much. _

Troy noted the time, which was just about the time he left for his apartment. His phone must not have gotten service, which meant all his calls and texts probably didn't go through either. But it meant she was okay, and she was safe.

It also meant someone was in his apartment, because he certainly didn't leave any lights on.

"Hello, Troy."

Troy instantly turned around to meet the voice he knew belonged to Kristen, his hands clenching so tightly his knuckles faded to white.

She looked just like he once saw her, but this time; he noticed the pain in her eyes. It didn't match the large smirk she had on her face.

"You've got a lot of guts to come here." He growled.

She giggled, slowly walking over to his apartment door. He followed her like a dog, right on her trail. "I think you underestimate me, Troysie." She winked as she shut his door and locked it.

"Nothing is going to stop me from killing you." He hissed, gradually stepping closer as she stepped back into his kitchen.

"I would hope so. You have a lot of anger to release, am I right?" She grinned, reaching over his counter to grab a very large knife. Kristen played with the tip of the blade and twirled it in her finger.

"Ah, ah." She held out the knife toward him when he made a move to get closer. "Don't do anything you'll regret, Bolton."

He felt his blood boil with determination and anger. He wanted her dead. She was in front of him. And he would not hesitate to kill her.

"But listen, babe, I have a lot of anger to release also. My sister is being held captive, because of your asshole move. And psh," She rolled her eyes. "I was almost held captive. It's a good thing Caruso didn't check my pockets before practically forcing me into a cell." Her eyes glistened.

"Put the knife down," He demanded, ignoring her little rant. "I just want this to be an easy, simple kill."

She giggled loudly. "Seriously? You think I'm going to put this beauty down?" She placed the tip on her cleavage, casually bringing it up and down. "I may have loved you once, Troy, but I've grown from then. Killing you will not bother me." Kristen quickly pulled the knife up and gripped her whole hand around it.

He wanted to lunge forward and get her, or at least do anything, but that knife would go right into him. He needed to distract her, he needed to do something.

"I've never met anyone as fucked as you," He scowled. Troy then remembered Alex, so that was a huge lie. Really, they would've been perfect for each other.

Kristen smiled. "Good. That's what I was going for." She put the knife to her chin and tilted her head like she was thinking hard. "Hey, I have an idea." She perked up. "If you strip, I promise not to cut your dick off before I kill you."

Troy gritted his teeth. "That would just make your day, wouldn't it? Cutting it off. That would be the only dick you would ever get."

Kristen gasped. "Honey, that wasn't very nice. I like to think that I'm a very beautiful girl," She smiled. "And although I _will _kill you, I like to think you are a very sexy guy. What's wrong with having some fun?"

Troy never felt this annoyed by her presence. "Even if I knew I was actually going to die, I wouldn't go anywhere near you. You aren't beautiful Kristen; you are just plain ugly as fuck." He provoked.

Kristen rolled her eyes. "Insults, insults. They won't get you anywhere boo."

Troy couldn't even make out her actions before a frying pan came aiming at his head. He quickly ducked it, but Kristen's intention wasn't to hurt him with it, it was just to get him distracted. Was she reading his mind or something?

He grunted loudly as the knife came into contact with his arm, going through it, but coming right back out.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" She giggled loudly, forcing the knife to go into his other arm, but he stumbled backwards and she didn't get a chance to.

His right arm went to his injured one, and gripped it tightly to prevent the blood from escaping quickly. It hurt like a bitch, but it wouldn't stop him from trying to kill her.

She was far away from him again. "You might want to get that checked out." Kristen grinned, placing the bloody knife onto the counter. She tapped the marble, glancing around his small kitchen. "What else can I use?" She wondered out loud.

Troy breathed heavily from the pain, walking slowly toward her as she looked for another utensil.

"Ah," She smiled and pulled out a butcher knife. Chad gave it to Troy as a present, but it was just a small joke they had. Now he wished he threw it out. "This is just precious, Troy. I'm shocked you have this."

Troy's eyelids were becoming heavy, and it must've been a result from the loss of blood, even though the cut wasn't as bad as he liked to imagine it. He didn't want to see it.

"This is _perfect _to chop Gabi's head off, with."

Troy tensed at her name. He almost forgot she was coming by soon. Fuck, he couldn't let her kill her. "Don't…" He growled.

"Oh, Troy." She sighed dreamily and walked in front of him bravely. From his condition, she didn't know what to expect, but if he made a move to hurt her, she would just kill him. She lifted his chin up and smiled. "You're smart enough to know that after I'm done with you, I will kill her." Kristen promised.

He gritted his teeth. He could just get her right now, and everything would be okay. Slowly, Troy removed his hand from his wound. "If you ever touch her-"

"What? You'll kill me?" She grinned and lifted up his shirt slightly. He was about to grab her hand when she spoke again. "How about this. If you let me have some fun and kill you, I'll let her live."

Could he even begin to believe her? He would be dead, he couldn't help Gabriella.

"I promise. Besides, it's not her fault she got the hot guy. It's pretty much your fault for playing with my feelings." She said. He wanted to laugh so badly. Playing with her feelings? He never even showed her affection like that.

Slowly, she took the butcher knife and grazed his stomach. It wasn't hard enough to draw blood or even leave a mark. "When did you become so ripped…?" She mumbled. "What a shame."

It was then that she pressed against his stomach harder, gliding it back across his stomach. The blood was already dripping down his body by the time she pulled away. He couldn't tell how deep it was, but it did sting.

"Take your shirt off." She demanded.

He stared at her with tired eyes, feeling himself become weaker with less blood. There was a chance, if he played along for just a moment, he could surprise attack her.

Troy pulled his shirt up with one hand, and she squealed loudly, helping him throw it off to the side.

"Gabriella was one lucky babe," She giggled, pressing the butcher knife against his pecks. With her shocking strength, she turned him around to his back and began repeating her recent actions. He bit his lip hard, feeling the warm liquid all over his exposed body. "Wow, Troy, you look like you just got whipped." She laughed loudly.

Kristen turned him back around and gave him another large smile before pressing the butcher knife against his face. It was almost as big as his head.

"This might hurt…" She said softly, but the hint of excitement in her voice didn't go unnoticed. He was too tired to respond.

Fucking get her before you die, he thought to himself.

She made a clean slice across his cheek, not as deep as the other cuts but enough to make him groan.

"I never thought I'd say this, but you're actually becoming unattractive." She told him as she brought the knife back down to his stomach. She slid it down to his v, putting force onto his skin, which only made another cut. Kristen paused right below his waist.

"I can't believe I'm going to see your junk," She shrugged her shoulders excitedly and used her free hand to unzip his pants.

Her hands went to the waistband of his jeans, ready to pull, when the sound of keys jingling filled their ears. It was probably all the way down the hallway, but the silence allowed the sound to catch their attention. With the rest of the strength he had left, he attached his fist to her cheek and watched her fall backwards.

"Dammit!" She yelled, already feeling the butcher knife fall out of her grasp. The force of the hit was enough to make her go flying, but it wasn't enough to knock her out.

Troy ignored Kristen and ran for the knife, but soon felt a pan collide with his head. He grunted sharply, but luckily, he fell forward toward the knife.

"No you don't!" Kristen exclaimed, grabbing the old knife from the counter, and sticking it through his hand as he reached for the weapon.

He flashed his teeth, feeling the pain through his body. He lifted his hand, feeling drowsy at seeing the blade go through the other side of the hand.

"Troy!"

Troy was never so upset to hear her voice in his entire life. He hoped she wouldn't open the door.

"Troy!" Gabriella repeated on the other side of the door, already pressing the key into the hole. She didn't know what was going on inside, but she thought she heard Kristen's voice.

Troy ignored her as he was using the same hand with the knife through it to stop Kristen from pushing an identical knife into his head. It was extremely hard, and he knew in a matter of seconds she would get the chance to kill him.

But then, when he heard Gabriella's voice again, he forced himself to try something that would possibly save his life. He used his remaining strength to turn his hand to the side with the blade, and forcefully pushed it into her stomach.

He felt Kristen slowly fall off his lap and onto the floor next to him. When he looked up, Gabriella was standing in front of him with a horrified look on her face as Joe pulled Kristen's lifeless body away.

"Oh my god…" The tears were already falling before she had a chance to take in his appearance. She could hear his heavy breathing when she was on the floor next to him.

"Brie…" He choked out. "I'm okay." He told her.

Gabriella covered her mouth with her hand, but it couldn't prevent her from puking on the floor beside her. Once she emptied out her stomach, she used all her will power to look at him again. His shirt was gone, but if she was further away, she would've thought he had on a red shirt. Blood was just dripping everywhere, pouring out of the cuts on his stomach, hand, face, and back.

She couldn't even bring herself to touch him.

"I'm fine." He repeated, drowsily. He tasted blood in his mouth, making every time he spoke horrendous

"Fine?" She almost thought she was going to puke again. "Troy…we need to get you to a hospital." She nodded, pulling her cell phone out with shaking hands and dialing the familiar number. He couldn't even lift a hand to stop her.

"Gabriella…don't." He exhaled loudly. "The General…" He insisted.

Gabriella felt like she was going to faint. "N-No Troy...we need to get you to a hospital."

He grunted as he felt another sting of pain. She jumped a little. "Tell Joe…to call…General."

Joe didn't even have to hear Gabriella tell him before he whipped his phone out and dialed her number as Troy told him the digits.

"You don't look too good," Troy joked, referring to her pale face, but immediately after he groaned.

Gabriella continued to let her tears fall. "Yeah…neither do you baby." She winced.

She helped him lean his body against the fridge and quickly removed her hands away from him.

"Don't…Don't be scared of me." He begged, noticing her flinch every time her skin came into contact with his.

"I'm not…" She promised. "I just don't want to hurt you."

"I can't get hurt anymore…" He chuckled, coughing after. Gabriella tried to ignore the blood that he coughed up and pressed her hand into his hair, rubbing it soothingly.

"You'll be fine, okay? You'll be absolutely fine. You're strong, you can handle this." She more so told herself than him.

He used the muscles he could manage to grin. "I know." He said.

"The General's on her way with the ambulance," Joe said from behind them. He couldn't look at Troy, not without puking like Gabriella did before.

"See, baby?" He smiled softly. "They're on their way. I'll be patched up in no time." It was taking him a lot of strength to speak, but it was reassuring Gabriella he was okay.

Gabriella licked her tears away from her lips. "Just stay awake." She demanded in a soft tone.

"Yeah…" He said, already feeling his eyes shut.

Gabriella gasped, her nightmare becoming reality. "Troy, don't close your eyes. Troy!" She screamed, ignoring his injuries and shaking his shoulders, but it was no use, his eyes were closed.

There was a chance he could die from blood loss, and there was a chance Gabriella would die right with him.


	26. Recovery

_Two weeks later._

"Mmm, babe, stop teasing." Troy mumbled against Gabriella's neck as he lightly pressed kisses against her skin. She was too determined to finish what she started to even choke out a moan.

"Will you please let me finish?" She forcefully pushed Troy's head away by pressing against his cheek and focused her attention onto his stomach. He groaned loudly, making sure she was attentive to hear it. "Lay down, Troy." She demanded a moment later. This position was getting too tiring for her.

"Are we finally coming to an agreement?" He grinned. That grin was smacked off his face as he fell back against the bed. She smiled triumphantly and lifted her leg to the side of his waist so she was straddling him.

"Once I'm done with this, I promise you can do whatever you want with me." Gabriella winked, getting back to her main concern. Slowly she poured the cream into her hands and started massaging his stomach.

"Fuck that feels good." He groaned as he watched her rub repetitive circles on his skin. They haven't been intimate in a long time, her excuses being she didn't want to hurt him, and this wasn't helping his issue at all. And by issue, he was positive Gabriella could feel it.

"You know…" She whispered. "These scars may freak people out, but I think they're sexy." Gabriella bent down and gently kissed the individual cuts that were starting to heal, slowly but surely. There were only three, one extending all the way across his stomach under his belly button, and two smaller ones above it.

"Yeah?" He responded with a smile at the feel of her comforting kisses. "What about this one, right here?" He pointed to the small line on his right cheek which seemed to fade faster than the others.

Gabriella crawled closer to his chest, her mission to finish his treatment completed. She had already finished his back and changed his bandages, so that left her in successful. "So, so, sexy." She whispered huskily, positioning her body onto his chest. He didn't mind, she was light.

Her fingers threaded through his wild hair, resting on his small bump hidden by his locks, and she leaned over to give him a lingering kiss on his cheek.

He moved his face slightly so her lips were now forced to make contact with his, and he held onto her by her waist. In a matter of minutes, Gabriella could feel Troy's tongue prying her lips open and with the best of her ability, she allowed entrance. Her mind was off onto another planet, usually what happened when she was around him. It wasn't a bad thing, just incredibly distracting.

"Baby…" He groaned against her lips as his moved with hers, regretting the words that were about to come out of his mouth.

"Mmm…" She responded, softly rolling her hips onto him.

"Either you're extremely happy to see me, or your phone is vibrating…" He murmured and just like that, her lips were gone from his.

She rolled her eyes at his comment though, her phone nowhere near her-

"Are you going to answer it?" He casually placed his hands under her shirt and stroked her skin.

Gabriella nodded, lifting her butt a bit to grab her phone out of her back pocket. When she answered the call, she could practically predict the words to come.

"Hello?" Gabriella sighed in the phone. "Yeah…" She answered. "Sure, see you soon."

"That was quick." He said. "You're usually on for hours." He grinned and squeezed her waist lightly.

She glared. "Taylor just wanted to tell me that everyone will be here in a few minutes. So…" She swatted his hands away from her stomach. "We have to get up."

"Why do they have to come over?" He groaned. "Don't get me wrong, I love them, but I'm starting to get annoyed. They come over every day."

Gabriella giggled. "I'm with you every day, do you get annoyed?"

He shook his head proudly. "They don't give me what you give me…" He traced the outline of her breast with his finger and she bit her lip.

"True…" She agreed. "But they just care, Troy. They thought we were dead. Give them some credit." She told him.

"Yet, here we are." He answered.

She rolled her eyes playfully and finally crawled off of him, earning a loud sigh from Troy. "Wear this." Gabriella picked up a white t-shirt from the floor and threw it at him. As much as she loved to see him shirtless, scars or no scars, they were having company over.

He sat up and threw the shirt over his body, shrugging his shoulders to get comfortable. "I've been thinking lately," He started, only to be interrupted by Gabriella's loud giggle.

"That can't be good." She let out a strangled sound that sounded somewhat like a laugh.

"You know I'm not that bright, so why must you constantly remind me?" He wondered.

Gabriella stepped to the side of the bed and leaned over to peck his lips. "I'm just kidding baby, you know I think you're a genius."

Once Gabriella was back by her dresser, Troy began to finish his thought. "Like I was saying, I've been thinking," He glanced at her to make sure she wouldn't laugh, but she was just nodding. "Now that Kristen is dead, and everything is basically perfect, you think we should get back into the game? Become spies again?"

It looked like she was about to nod again, but surprisingly she shook her head. "Like you said, Troy, everything is basically perfect. Why should we take advantage of that? A few weeks ago I would immediately say we should. But now, I don't really think so." She said honestly.

And then to her surprise, he smiled. "I've never agreed more." Gabriella smiled as well. "Besides, I meant what I said about quitting. I'm out of this shit. I just wanted your opinion."

"What about Francisco?" She suddenly asked.

He stood from the bed and stretched his body. "I'm sure The General can handle it." He replied as he came closer to her, caging her in against the dresser.

"Troy…" She glared. She knew what he wanted, and now was not the time.

"Relax, I know." He pushed his body against hers and latched his lips onto her neck. She bit her lip to prevent herself from moaning. "I just like your neck…" He informed her as he sucked on her sweet spot. She allowed herself to release the moan.

"We only…" Her eyes practically rolled to the back of her head when he nibbled against her skin.

"We only…" He repeated huskily, his lips now on the underside of her jaw. She sucked in a deep breath and gripped his shoulders.

"Have…" She started again, this time realizing she wasn't going to get anywhere near a complete sentence.

He chuckled against her, taking a second to pull away to see her startled reaction. She raised her eyebrows and he only continued laughing.

"What are you doing?" She wondered.

"You wanted me to stop," He reminded her. "Right?"

Gabriella quickly shook her head, realizing only a moment after what she did. She opened her mouth to speak, but Troy interrupted her with another chuckle.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to resist this." He motioned toward his body and Gabriella couldn't help but let out a soft giggle. She smacked him on the chest and shook her head amusingly.

"You're such an ass, Troy Bolton."

* * *

Gabriella covered her mouth with her hand and tilted her head back against Troy's body. "Oh…god…" She tried to contain her laughter, but the sound was just spilling out of her mouth.

Troy chuckled, nestling his chin on her shoulder. "Who would've thought you'd be the first one to get a girl knocked up?"

Chad glared at the couple and rested his hand around Taylor. "You make it seem like I'm not parent material."

Taylor giggled quietly. "Chad, they're just kidding." She assured. "They like torturing you."

Chad scoffed, reminding Gabriella a lot like a little kid, and pushed his body back into the couch.

"I'm sorry Chad," Gabriella apologized, smiling. "Congrats on being pregnant Taylor, you guys are going to be wonderful parents."

"But," Sharpay spoke up, attracting everyone's attention. "I _demand _to be the god mother. After all, kids love me."

Taylor hesitantly nodded. "Don't take this offensive, Shar-"

"Anyone want a drink?" Gabriella stood up from the floor before anyone had the chance to answer and pulled Troy with her into the kitchen. Once they reached the comfort of the slightly quieter area, Gabriella let out a loud sigh.

"Tense, baby?" Troy placed his hands on both shoulders and rubbed softly. Gabriella closed her eyes and leaned back into Troy.

"Does it make me a bad person if I want to kick them out?" She asked quietly.

Troy chuckled and brushed her curls away from her neck so he could place a small kiss there. "What happened to giving them some credit?" He whispered in her ear.

Gabriella sighed again. "That was before I knew Taylor was pregnant." Gabriella turned around and threw her arms around his neck. "She's a spy, Troy. How is she going to handle a baby?"

He smiled. "Taylor's a smart girl; she'll know what to do."

Gabriella reluctantly nodded. Troy had gotten closer to Sharpay and Taylor after the incident and they were practically starting to become a small, happy family. She wouldn't want it any other way, especially with everyone getting along, including Joe and Sharpay. They were getting along, alright.

"I know." Gabriella said. "I just worry about everyone. I don't want her to regret this one day." Troy wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. "She loves being a spy."

Troy raised an eyebrow. "Are we still talking about Taylor, Brie?"

"Of course…" She answered. He slowly nodded, and Gabriella rolled her eyes, knowing what he was thinking. "I love being a spy too, Troy. But it's dangerous. I want to be with you, safe."

"Where are the drinks?" A loud voice called, nearly causing Gabriella's heart to stop beating. She glanced over the kitchen counter and noticed the gang eying them suspiciously.

Gabriella pulled away from Troy, giving him a small, reassuring smile, and quickly grabbed a wine bottle and six glasses before heading back into the living room.

"Wine?" Shapray asked, taking the cup that Gabriella offered. "Sweetie, I love you, but I don't do wine. I'm more of a vodka girl."

Gabriella giggled. "Sorry your majesty, but this is all we have. Either take it or stay sober."

Sharpay gave Gabriella a look and turned to face Joe, who hasn't spoken much since he got there. He was still a little hung up over Marc, as was Troy and Gabriella. "You want to come with me to the store to get some vodka?" She asked him. He nodded and stood up. "We'll be right back."

Gabriella nodded and backed away from them, motioning her hand toward the door. Sharpay laughed and they both left.

"Taylor, I do not want her as the god mother." Chad said once Sharpay was gone. He had all seriousness in his voice, and Gabriella couldn't help but giggle.

"Me either." Taylor sighed and leaned her head on Chad's shoulder.

Troy laughed, sitting down onto the floor with his glass. He grabbed Gabriella's arm and pulled her between his legs. "You know," Gabriella started in a whisper. "The couch is a lot more comfortable."

Troy wrapped an arm around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder again. "I like the floor." He admitted.

Gabriella smiled. "I like you." She twisted her head around to meet his lips, but Chad's voice interrupted them.

"Please stop, we do not need Gabriella pregnant too."

Gabriella rolled her eyes and Troy lifted his head up. "I know how to use a condom." He said. "Unlike some people…" Gabriella suppressed a giggle.

"Fuck you, it broke." Chad muttered.

Troy chuckled and interlaced his fingers with Gabriella's. "Anyways, I'm not ready for a baby." Gabriella stated. "I want things to cool down before I even think of having one."

"Maybe you should start…" Taylor said gently. Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "I'm just saying, Troy almost died-"

"He didn't almost die." Gabriella snapped back. Troy tightened his grip around her. Taylor was right, and as much as Gabriella wanted to deny it, when Troy lost all the blood, no one thought he was going to make it. With the exception of Gabriella, everyone had lost faith. For two days, Troy was knocked unconscious, and Gabriella was by his bed, eagerly waiting for him to open his beautiful eyes. When he did, the first thing he felt wasn't a kiss, but a slap.

"Gabi, he _did_ almost die." She corrected. "You never know how much time you have left."

"We still want to take things slow." Troy jumped in before Gabriella had the chance to respond. She leaned her head back into him and sighed.

"New topic." Chad added quickly. Troy gave him a thankful smile and he nodded.

"Do you guys want to watch a movie or something?" Gabriella asked. "I don't know when Sharpay will be-" She raised an eyebrow once again. "What was that?"

Troy quickly stood up when he heard the noise that Gabriella had referred to, and she eyed him. He mumbled something to her before leaving the room, but she couldn't understand.

"Wow, he sure recovered quickly from the injuries." Gabriella's head jerked up at the sound of Taylor's voice and she nodded.

"He's only going to have a few scars." Gabriella smiled. "Everything else will be fine."

"The scars don't bother you?" Chad wondered.

Gabriella shrugged. "At first it was weird to look at, only because I hated to see him hurt." She explained. "But now it really doesn't. It makes him look like a bad boy." She grinned.

Taylor giggled, but her smile soon faltered. "It doesn't remind you of Kristen?" She asked.

Gabriella scratched her head. "I mean…I never really thought about that." Kristen was one thing Gabriella wanted to look past. Just like Brooke and the others, she didn't want to be reminded. Even though they were still alive, while Kristen was deceased, Gabriella hated them being mentioned. "I think it's hard for Troy to look at them though. It's just every time he does, I get the feeling that he _does _think of Kristen."

"Well yeah." Chad said. "She shows up at his house and tries to kill him. I'd think the same."

Taylor glared at Chad and smacked him on the arm. He mouthed a 'what' to her and rubbed the throbbing spot. Gabriella faked a smile and brought her arms around her knees.

"Brie," Gabriella loosened her grip around her knees and looked up, noticing Troy walk into the living room with his phone in his hand.

"What?" She asked. He had a weird look on his face, and it was causing some distress.

"That was The General." He said softly. Gabriella's eyes widened. She hasn't heard from her since Troy was brought into the hospital for surgery. "She wants us to come in."


	27. AN

HI GUYS. THERES GOING TO BE A TEMPORARY BREAK ON THIS STORY; CAUSE I HAVE A NEW ONE. GO CHECK IT OUT. MR ASSASSIN. BUT YEAH, HEY! IM BACK :3 ITS BEEN A WHILE. TOO LONG ACTUALLY. IF YOU GO CHECK OUT MY NEW STORY, YOU'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENED. K THANKS :)

AND I WILL DEFINITELY FINISH THIS STORY. IM NOT GONNA LEAVE IT UNFINISHED. IF ANYONE IS STILL INTERESTED.

-ALEXA


	28. Done

HI, HI. And now I'm back with a chapter! I apologize for the delay of the chapter, the long long long delay of the chapter, but I promised to continue! It was hard to write again though, cause I forgot everything about the story, yikes. So things might be off. I did like briefly reread some chapters, but I still probably missed some things. There's only gonna be one more chapter left, so the next, and it's over. GQWRGWRHW. I'm gonna be so sad to see it end, but I'm actually glad its nearing the end. I don't think I would have had any muse left to make it extremely long. This even took a lot of effort. But yeah, here it is, for anyone that's still reading this. Thank you if you are! If you aren't...o. That's ok too.

* * *

"You know we don't have to do this…" Troy mumbled unsurely to Gabriella, to which she just shook her head.

"It's ok. She asked us to come in; it'd be rude to say no." Gabriella flashed him a slight fake smile and continued walking down the hall. Just a few more steps and they'd both be in front of that oh so familiar door.

"Whatever happens…" Troy grabbed Gabriella by the forearm, gently pulling her back against his chest. Her hands rested delicately on his shoulders as she looked up. "I love you, so, so much."

"I love _you_, so, so much." She whispered before leaning up to press her lips on his, urgently and softly. His lips immediately latched onto her lower lip, his tongue tracing the softness of the plump flesh. Gabriella knew it was going further than it should when they had something to do, but she couldn't pull away. His lips felt too damn good.

"Troy," She moaned into his mouth as he pulled her closer to him.

"Just give me a minute…" Troy told her in a strained voice, tugging at her lip once until he complied and pulled away completely.

Gabriella knew what he was thinking, somehow. She understood that he was worried that they'd be separated again, and this could be the last time they'd kiss each other. But it wasn't going to come down to that – no matter what.

She smiled softly and leant up again, kissing him chastely for a brief second. "Let's go."

"Let's go." He repeated.

They both walked hand in hand to their destination and Troy cautiously opened the door after giving it a nimble knock. The General sat emotionless at her desk with her spectacles barely managing to stay in front of her eyes.

As soon as she heard a sound, her head jerked up and a surprising smile appeared on her face. "Bolton, Montez, have a seat."

Troy raised an eyebrow, but nonetheless took a seat in his normal chair; Gabriella following immediately after.

"So…how are you two?" The General yanked her glasses off and set them on the desk. "You look much better, Troy." She mused.

Troy tried to suppress a simple eye roll at her compliment, but failed miserably. "I'd sure hope so." He grumbled.

Gabriella widened her eyes as she looked at Troy. Why was he acting so…uptight towards her? If anything, she'd expect him to be a bit nicer. "Troy…" She scolded, earning the attention of The General.

"It's alright, Gabriella." The General sighed. "Troy, I understand you're upse—"

"Oh, I'm not upset." Gabriella suddenly felt him tense under her hand, and that had only been his hand out of all various body parts. "I'm fucking tired. I'm sick of working here, following your damn orders, being controlled." Troy didn't dare look at Gabriella – he knew her expression was one of a kind. "You are clearly not fit to run this place General. If you actually knew what you were doing, Kristen wouldn't have escaped. I wouldn't have had to look like a fucking human knife target."

He had spoken this speech as soon as The General met with him after the incident, but he was drugged up, and his words weren't as understandable.

"I'm grateful for you saving my life…really, I am. But you know what? If you didn't accuse us in the first place, _I_ wouldn't need saving." Troy ventured and reluctantly glanced at Gabriella. Her mouth was agape, but her eyes showed her understanding. "_We_ wouldn't need saving."

The next words that were heard, shocked Gabriella and Troy more than expected.

"I know." She said. "And that's why you two are free. You no longer need to work here, or follow my damn orders." Troy winced a little at her choice of words; his words. "Montez, Bolton, you were two of the best spies who ever participated in this corporation, and I thank you very much for being a part of this journey." The General reached around her desk for a paper, still speaking. "Though I'm sad to see you depart, I can't persuade you any more to stay. It wouldn't be fair of me to ask; after all you've been through." Once the paper was retrieved, she slid it over to them. "Sign here and that'll be it."

"Troy…" Gabriella gulped.

Troy looked at her with his eyes unconsciously widened. The General was giving them a damn opportunity to get the hell out? They didn't even have to suggest it, or anything? She'd just let them go…without even discussing the matter. After how rude he had been to her, she was still granting them freedom.

"I…" Troy choked out. "Why are you doing this?"

The General gave them a sad smile. "I can see how in love you both are. I can't interfere. I can't promise you guys that you'll survive from a mission…" She placed a pen on top of the paper. "I'd rather one of you die from a natural cause, or old age, than by being shot down or stabbed."

"What about Francisco?" Gabriella wondered aloud, waiting eagerly for a response. The General closed her eyes momentarily and sighed.

"He'll be taken care of. We've acquired enough evidence to have him sentenced to jail for life."

"That's it? We sign…and we're gone?" Gabriella asked, unsure. This still all seemed a bit surreal.

"That's it." She promised.

The atmosphere really changed in a matter of seconds. First, he was back lashing everything about this organization, especially how The General worked. And now…he was feeling guilty for actually voicing it. She wasn't arguing with them – she _was_ giving them an option.

Being a spy was all she ever needed in life. It was something she devoted all time and energy into, and once upon a time, she imagined herself doing it forever. It was her life…at one point. Now? Troy was her life. And she didn't want it threatened.

Gabriella pressed her lips together and gripped the pen into her hand, shakily bringing it down onto the paper. Her name was beautifully scripted across the once blank line, but Troy's was yet to make it onto the sheet.

"Babe?" Gabriella said in a soft murmur, placing her hand on his arm soothingly. He cleared his throat and turned to look at her. "This is what you want, right?"

"Of course…" Although he was fairly certain this was what he wanted, he couldn't picture himself doing anything else. Hell, Taylor was pregnant and she still seemed to be along with the spy mojo. But…he remembered seeing Gabriella's face when he nearly bled to death, and that was something he never wanted to go through again. Besides, this guaranteed safety…No more running, no more hiding, and no more killing.

"Definitely." Troy finally stated, and finished it off with a sign of his name.

Having a future with Gabriella now seemed more likely.

"You'll be greatly missed, you two." If he wasn't imagining things, he swore he saw The General wipe at her eyes. Was she…crying? Over them, nonetheless? "You can go pick up your necessities in the dressing room."

"Thank you, General, thank you." Gabriella simply smiled brightly at the General and stood from the chair. She was merely wordless this whole encounter, but now that it was finally over, she had even less words.

"Brie, can you go grab the things and I'll meet you at the car?" He pondered and Gabriella gave him an odd look, but of course nodded. She gave him a quick peck on the lips and vanished from the room a minute later.

"Is something wrong, Troy?" Troy looked up at The General, also seeing her perplexed expression evident.

"I did mean what I said before…" He breathed out. "But I didn't mean it in such a dick way. You're great at this, General, but you know…maybe it's time you left this all too?"

"Troy—"

"No, listen," Troy interrupted. "I know you have a family. I've seen the pictures of your girls, your husband, and your grandchildren." The General swallowed quite loudly at the revelation, but didn't bother to cut in. "You put yourself at risk every day with this shit…do you really want your grandchildren to lose their grandmother? Or for your husband to suddenly become a widow?"

"It isn't that simple, Bolton…" The General shook her head softly. "I can't just up and leave. You've been here for a while, I'm aware, but Troy I've been here for much longer."

"I know…" He slowly stood and licked his lips. "Just think about it, alright? The world won't end if this place disappears." And with that, he nodded curtly at her as a goodbye, and left the room.

But upon turning the corner, he was shocked to see Gabriella standing there with her arms crossed over her chest, and a goofy smile on her face.

"Didn't I tell you—"

"To wait by the car, yes," Gabriella smiled as she walked up to him, letting her arms then wrap around his neck and embrace into his warmth. "I don't really like listening to orders." Her smile turned into a grin in a matter of seconds.

"Hm, even if I politely ordered you to kiss me?" He questioned curiously, a mock grin on his face.

"I _guess_ that's an order I can't refuse." Gabriella let out a melodious giggle and stood on her tippy toes to kiss him. It only lasted for a minute or so, before she pulled back, out of breath. "I heard what you said to The General…" She revealed against his lips.

"I figured that much." He chuckled, moving his head slightly to attach his lips to her jaw.

"Do you think she's going to go for it?" She asked.

He shrugged his shoulders and pulled back completely. Blue met brown, and Gabriella abruptly felt her knees weaken. "One can only hope." Troy tapped her waist and began moving. "Let's get the hell out of here before I change my mind."

"Change your mind?" Gabriella frowned. He was having doubts already?

"Yeah...about taking you right here, right now."

She squealed loudly as she was then thrown over a shoulder, and the giggles were possibly the only thing heard in the deserted hallway.

* * *

"If it's a girl; Ava, if it's a boy; Aaron." Gabriella told Troy as they lay tangled up in each other's arms. Both had returned from the spy's headquarters two hours ago, and settled on snuggling up in bed together…well, it began as that, but it led to more productive activities. Which resulted in them under the blanket, naked, and Gabriella nestled close to Troy.

"Eh…I don't know if I dig Aaron." Troy halted his rubbing on her arm for a moment, before continuing after being in thought. She pressed her head further into his chest and traced the large scar on his bare stomach. A soft sigh escaped her.

"It's not our choice, Troy." She laughed, tilting her head up to look at him, to which he tilted his own head down to look at her.

"I know…but I thought Chad would suggest some ghetto ass name. I wasn't expecting Aaron or Ava." He chuckled.

"I don't think he had any say. Taylor was pretty set on those names." She said. "Seriously, you think Taylor would agree to Shanaynay, or Bonquiqui?"

"Well…" Troy began.

Gabriella cut him off with a gentle kiss. "She'd murder him for even saying those names."

"Come on. Chad isn't that big of an idiot." Troy assured. "He wouldn't risk it."

Though Taylor wasn't that far along with the baby, actually not even close to being ready, they were already deciding on baby names and colors for the room. She officially resigned from the spy work an hour ago, as did Chad, which left Sharpay as the only spy left in the group. God knows what Joe was up to now. She assumed he'd stay as a spy too, but it would come to a point where both would probably give it all up for the love.

They were quite fond of each other, but Sharpay denied having any real feelings for him. She was scared, it seemed, and Gabriella could see right through the act. She was falling for someone; it was like her own Troy in a way.

"Mmm, I doubt it." Gabriella giggled, and after a peaceful moment of silence, she looked back up. "Troy?"

His nod was an indication for her to continue. "Do you ever…want to have kids?" Gabriella asked hesitantly. "I mean, with me?"

Troy laughed quickly. "Who else would I want kids with?" She slapped him firmly on the chest and he feigned a pout before talking. "Of course I do…you know, a whole family with the big house and crazy mornings. And having a beautiful wife to look forward to seeing each day."

"Wife, huh?" Gabriella fought a smirk.

"All that, and you only picked out the wife part?" He rolled his eyes playfully.

Gabriella rolled her eyes back, though it wasn't as playful. "Anyways," She rested her head back onto his chest. "I think that'll be nice…we can have real jobs, like a teacher or something, and an actual house." She always dreamed of that as a child, and the possibility that it could come true was beyond amazing.

"We have all the time in the world to decide."

"Well…"

"Well?"

"What if, I sort of, have something to tell you?"

"Baby…"

"Don't freak out, okay? I know you said—"

"Are you pregnant or something, Gabriella?"

"Troy—"

"Holy shit, you are, aren't you? How the fuck though, we always used condoms! Fuck, I told you I had super sper—"

"Troy, please, shut up. I'm not pregnant."

"You're...you're not?

"No, I was just going to tell you that I started looking for houses the other day, and kind of maybe found a really beautiful one."

"Oh….so I _don't _have super sperm?"


End file.
